(August 5, 2011, Texas, KUT) --As the economic tightening of belts continues, the cost of every purchase is scrutinized—this includes buying your morning coffee.
After handing over a couple of dollars, you might wonder exactly what you’re paying for, especially with Fair Trade coffees like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sidama that tend to be more expensive than others.
Distributed by Austin’s Third Coast Coffee and other roasters, these coffees from northeast Africa come with additional costs in the form of a social premium that goes directly from coffee transactions to local farmers’ communities, as well as an organic premium.
But premiums aside, Ethiopian coffees are usually more expensive for two additional reasons: the farming processes involved, which are by hand, and the extensive quality control methods conducted.
Ethiopians take coffee production very seriously, not surprising for a country that loves coffee and relies on it as its primary export.
“One secret is picking the coffee only when it ripens, not all in one go,” said Mengesha Wocho, a Yirgacheffe coffee farmer in the Abaya district of southern Ethiopia. ”We check for the ripest cherries on the tree and only take those. That’s why the quality is so good.”
Fellow coffee farmer Ayele Gemede added that, after coffee beans are extracted from the picked cherries, they’re put out to dry by hand, making sure that beans don’t overlap each other and are regularly turned over to dry evenly.
“Otherwise it can cause problems for aroma and flavor,” Gemede said. Read More from KUT »
After handing over a couple of dollars, you might wonder exactly what you’re paying for, especially with Fair Trade coffees like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sidama that tend to be more expensive than others.
Distributed by Austin’s Third Coast Coffee and other roasters, these coffees from northeast Africa come with additional costs in the form of a social premium that goes directly from coffee transactions to local farmers’ communities, as well as an organic premium.
But premiums aside, Ethiopian coffees are usually more expensive for two additional reasons: the farming processes involved, which are by hand, and the extensive quality control methods conducted.
Ethiopians take coffee production very seriously, not surprising for a country that loves coffee and relies on it as its primary export.
“One secret is picking the coffee only when it ripens, not all in one go,” said Mengesha Wocho, a Yirgacheffe coffee farmer in the Abaya district of southern Ethiopia. ”We check for the ripest cherries on the tree and only take those. That’s why the quality is so good.”
Fellow coffee farmer Ayele Gemede added that, after coffee beans are extracted from the picked cherries, they’re put out to dry by hand, making sure that beans don’t overlap each other and are regularly turned over to dry evenly.
“Otherwise it can cause problems for aroma and flavor,” Gemede said. Read More from KUT »
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