Yirgacheffe Coffee - Ethiopia - Dallmayr GRAND CRU CAFÉ

Grand Cru YIRGACHEFFE - Premium coffee from Ethiopia

PROFILE

Origin: Ethiopia
Type: 100% Coffea Arabica
Quality: Authentic premium quality, washed Coffea Arabica, Grade Yirgacheffe
Roasting: Medium strength
Body: Full and intense
Acidity: Balanced and elegant
Aroma: Intensive, with a natural mocha flavour and an aroma reminiscent of herbs
PREPARATION: Dallmayr GRAND CRU Yirgacheffe is ideal for filter and French press coffee, or as café crème or caffè lungo in a fully automatic coffee machine.

A global favourite coffee from its very roots

This premium coffee comes from the Yirgacheffe region in the Ethiopian Highlands. As a result of its excellent taste and high degree of purity, coffee from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia is a firm favourite. GRAND CRU Yirgacheffe is a pure, authentic coffee; its intensive, full aroma carries a hint of herbs. Its exquisite elegance and natural mocha flavour make it truly irresistible. Ethiopia is considered to be the original home of coffee.

From the bleating of the first coffee lovers, to the discovery of a botanical treasure

One of many legends claims that during the ninth century, Ethiopian monks observed how their goats ate the leaves and fruit of coffee plants. The coffee soon showed its invigorating effect on the animals. Even during the small hours, they continued to leap around, full of energy. This awakened the monks’ curiosity – and they tried it for themselves. They discovered that after eating the fruit, carrying out their nightly prayers was no longer so wearisome. And so the long history of coffee began.

Beginning in the shadowy mountain forests of Ethiopia, coffee gradually spread to other countries. Today, the ‘brown gold’ is cultivated in some 80 countries in the tropical and subtropical zones – the so-called coffee belt. Whether in Brazil, Kenya, Colombia or Indonesia, all coffee plants are descendants of those very first wild plants in Ethiopia. It is no wonder that experts consider it a true botanical treasure. .

The finest varieties thrive in the Sidamo and Yirgacheffe coffee regions in the south-west of the country. Here, an ideal combination of altitude, climate and fertile soil reigns. At around 2,000 metres, the cherries are harvested from coffee trees that grow wild in forests or are cultivated on small farms. The cultivation, care and harvest of the cherries lie solely in the hands of the family-run farm. The washed premium Arabica is distinguished by its particularly full flavour. Balanced, fine caffeic acids guarantee a truly unique coffee experience.

These Arabica coffees have defined the unmistakable Dallmayr flavour from the very beginning.

Riding on the back of a donkey - coffee adventures 50 years ago

As the first German coffee roaster to import Ethiopian coffee to Germany, Dallmayr has today become the world’s leading purchaser of Ethiopian Arabica. Some 50 years ago, Konrad Werner Wille, the coffee expert and co-proprietor of the Munich delicatessen Dallmayr, set off for Africa. His route took him from Munich to Frankfurt, then onwards via Athens, Cairo, Asmara, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Moshi and Arusha, before finally reaching Mombasa. Today, the family albums still give an impressive insight into these pioneering journeys. Konrad Werner Wille set out on his adventure, travelling sometimes with a donkey, until he reached the coffee regions. In the fertile southern provinces of Ethiopia, he came across coffee beans of an extraordinarily high quality. He took some back to Munich with him, and decided there and then to buy the entire harvest, which originally consisted of seven sacks. The Maria Theresa thaler was agreed upon as the method of payment. For many years, Dallmayr bought the complete coffee bean harvest from the Sidamo region.

This formed the basis for trading relations that continue to shape Dallmayr’s raw coffee purchasing process today. Visiting Ethiopia’s coffee regions is a must every year for Dallmayr’s coffee experts. There, they visit suppliers and gain a first-hand impression of the quality and quantity of the harvests. A visit to the tree nurseries founded by the Menschen für Menschen foundation is also a key feature of such trips. These plantations are home to seedling trees donated by Dallmayr through the sale of Ethiopian coffee.

Enjoy coffee to nurture hope

Intensive trading relations and the close connections formed with Ethiopia over decades motivate Dallmayr to actively support one of the most renowned aid programmes on the African continent: Karlheinz Böhm’s Menschen für Menschen foundation. Dallmayr has found in them a partner who has been just as dedicated to making a difference in Ethiopia for decades. For 28 years, the foundation has promoted self-development in the country, with minimum administrative expenses. The charity and Munich’s traditional delicatessen have been in close contact for many years.

„The idea of using Dallmayr coffee from Ethiopia to promote my foundation locally was immediately of interest to me.“ - Karlheinz Böhm

For every package of Dallmayr GRAND CRU Yirgacheffe or Dallmayr Ethiopia sold, tree seedlings are planted by Menschen für Menschen in the nurseries. This ensures that one of Ethiopia’s core problems is dealt with at its very roots: the threat of desertification. The trees that grow from the seedlings planted help to improve the quality of the soil. The charity’s forestation programme prevents erosion, thus creating more favourable living conditions for the families who reside there.

> Listen to an original recording of Karlheinz Böhm: „Eine Geschichte, die in Afrika spielt (A story set in Africa)“ - click to listen.

> Short film by MfM: „Landwirtschaft: Grundlage des Lebens (Agriculture: the basis of life)“ - click to listen.

Comprehensive information about the Menschen für Menschen foundation can be found at www.menschenfuermenschen.de

You can view the current number of Dallmayr tree seedlings donated at www.dallmayr-ethiopia.de

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony a symbol of friendship and acceptance

Every year, Ethiopia produces approximately four million 60-kilogram sacks of raw coffee. Almost half of these are used within the country. And it’s hardly surprising – the Ethiopians are, after all, huge coffee lovers. Nevertheless, the idea of drinking it from a plastic cup on the run is simply unimaginable to them. In Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony has an age-old tradition as an integral part of social and cultural life. Being invited for coffee is a gesture of the host’s friendship and acceptance.

The job of preparing the coffee is reserved only for women: the raw coffee beans are roasted in a metal pan on an open fire, and are then grinded with a pestle. Finally, the ground coffee is slowly stirred in a ‘jebenna’, a traditional coffee pot with a spherical base, long neck and small pouring spout. The hostess gracefully pours the coffee from a significant height into the cups, and always prepares a few more than the actual number of guests present. These extra cups are reserved for the spirits.