Ethiopia's Wild Coffee: 5 Reasons to See These Coffee Plantations

Have you ever experienced a spectacular view of the Simien Mountains?

Or the world’s third-highest capital that turned into a modern metropolis?

Or a magnificent scenery of the towering rocks gigantic in size, so immense and vast that it’s even hard to speculate them without moving your head from side to side?

Wildlife that includes a great variety of animals (some of them are even in danger of becoming extinct), deforested lakes with amazingly colourful areas around them, huge mountains, breathtaking rural scenery, national parks, and reservations?

And more than that, the lands of one of the widespread products in the world, since we have it now almost in every country and made it an essential part of our dietary culture – coffee! Then welcome to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee!

Some people associate this country with coffee. And no wonder, because only here coffee is grown at a high altitude. And why is it so important you may ask? Coffee plants that are grown at low altitudes contain a lot of oxygen CO2. Consequently, the procedure of making and brewing coffee will be different in ways that these soft beans are not as good for dark roasts as the ones of a high altitude. The beans are much softer and require special treatment.

Due to fast-growing at low altitude, the taste also gets its special "earthy" tone.

Ethiopian lands are ideal for growing coffee plants. And the temperature is perfect for the maturation process. Thus, the growth of the plants is detained a bit which has a positive effect on beans, the flavour becomes more vibrant. More frequently the beans are hand-picked, and such a method of gathering perfectly adds richness to the taste.

Are you still not sure and can't decide what beans will suit your coffee? Try the best espresso beans for moka pot in order to make the best coffee without feeling guilty.

Now we're going to discuss 5 reasons why it is worth visiting coffee plantations in Ethiopia:

The birthplace of coffee

Some of you are probably familiar with the legend of the first coffee discovery. It was a herder who stumbled upon this wonderful plant because his flock ate it and began to act very actively afterward.

This plant resembled cherries in shape and colour, but it was hard to extract the bean from it. Only because of some circumstances and several tries to use the plant in a diet, the herder found out the way to exploit it in a drink after accidentally throwing the beans in a fire. According to the legend, he put them in a mug to cool down and discovered an unbelievable taste.

You will have a chance to see the homeland of coffee by yourself, where it first originated.

Getting struck by the beauty of the lands

If you want to experience an amazing breathtaking journey and visit the plantations, this place is for you. Ethiopia will offer you so many striking earth colours that cover the landscape that it literally blows the mind. You don't even have to put filters on the photo after taking a picture.

Varieties of tastes

If you want to dive deep into the whole coffee growing process and discover what exactly influences the taste, why some coffee can be sharp-tasting, some aroma has the hint of fruit or a sweet taste. All these factors depend on the region where the plant is growing, what altitude, elevation, or mountain range is used for the purpose.

Wild coffee saves the rainforest

Ethiopian coffee doesn't only save the local animals such as baboons from starvation, it also provides a livelihood for people who live nearby. Moreover, it protects the forest! You ask how?

As long as coffee plants are growing in the forest protected by the shades, nobody will cut the trees. Local people benefit a lot from the plants, their living depends mostly on them, so they can't ruin it, that's why they protect the forest very strictly where it grows.

Nobody is allowed to "touch" a tree in the forest. It has been preserved for a long time already. You are welcome to visit one of the biggest rainforests in the world.

Cathedrals and monasteries

If you finally make up your mind about visiting coffee plantations, you shouldn’t miss a chance to attend one of the ancient places of the country. Some churches are hidden in the cliffs on the peak of the mountains.

You’ll get an unbelievable experience after checking out these gorgeous monolithic buildings and will remember them for your whole life.

There are much more reasons to visit the plantations in Ethiopia. You are welcome to discover them yourself!