Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
Well this week we conceded that the weather was fair enough to feature a frozen drink, and it worked! We actually had some rain, and this morning there was ice on my windshield when the kids and I piled in the car. My son is still dressing in shorts and a t-shirt everyday, but he would do that in the snow without an intervention from me. It was great to listen to the thumping of a heavy rain and to see the world sparkle in diamond drops when it ended.
A cloud picture, in appreciation of their presence.
We’ve got a new coffee for you this week: a washed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe instead of the natural Sidamo that we have been carrying lately. Yirgacheffe is a region in south-central Ethiopia, known for their coffee. Ethiopia is generally recognized as the birthplace of coffee, and it grows wild in the mountains here.
The legend goes that a goatherd named Kaldi noticed his goats dancing around after eating some red cherries, so he tried them too (wouldn’t you?). It didn’t take long for some local monks to use the berries to stay awake for their prayers, nor was it long before the shrubs spread to nearby Arabia. It’s not known who first roasted those beans over a fire, and brewed them, but for centuries coffee was a carefully guarded secret.
Eventually coffee was smuggled into Europe, around the 17th century, and from there it spread around the world. European colonists and missionaries introduced the coffee plant to South American, Indonesia and other countries on their explorations. It turned out that coffee loved the volcanic soil and climate found around the equator, and it thrived there.
Today coffee is grown on six of the seven continents and is a commodity traded worldwide. It is generally recognized that however coffee was actually discovered, it did indeed originate in Ethiopia. This week’s coffee is a product of those original arabica beans. We’ve roasted it light, and the flavor is amazing. It has a honey sweetness to it, and strong nutty tones with a chocolate finish. The acidity is bright as you sip, but the depth of flavor is what makes it stand out.
This week you can virtually visit a bit of coffee’s history by sampling this Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Use the code seven continents* for a free twelve ounce cup this week. It’s also on sale this week in the store and here. Enjoy your winter, wherever you are. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Code expires on 2.06.14. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.