Kaffa is the land of the cloud forests of south-west Ethiopia and one of the places where arabica coffee still grows wild. Since 2010 it has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Rather than for a specific cup profile, it is known for its history: it is one of the centres of origin of coffee.
Zone: Keffa · South West Ethiopia
Altitude (estates): 1,700 – 2,000 m
Farming: Forest, semi-forest and gardens
Processes: Washed and natural
Capital: Bonga
Typical profile: Floral, citrus, red fruit
Where is Kaffa?
The Keffa zone, with its capital in Bonga, has belonged since 2021 to the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region. The Kafa Biosphere Reserve covers some 760,000 hectares, more than half of it forest, and ranges from 500 to over 3,300 metres. It includes the Gesha district, which gives its name to the famous variety.
Landscape and farming
It is a plateau of montane forest, with primary forest, bamboo and wetlands. Four ways of growing coffee coexist in Kaffa: forest coffee, which grows under the rainforest trees and is mostly just harvested; semi-forest, where trees are thinned to let in more light; gardens, next to homes; and plantations.
The “wild coffee” story needs nuance: in many areas the forest has been thinned for coffee, and a good part of the production is not strictly forest coffee. Across Ethiopia, forest coffee is around 5% of the total.
How it tastes
There are few importer sheets with tasting notes from Kaffa, so there is no consolidated regional profile. A washed coffee from the Tega and Tula estates, for example, is described as very floral, with lime, bergamot, caramel and red berries, and a silky body.
Does the word “coffee” come from Kaffa?
It is a widespread idea, but it has not been proven. The Arabic word qahwa, from which “coffee” and “café” come, probably meant something else. The link to Kaffa is a lovely hypothesis, and that is how it should be told: as a legend.
Frequently asked questions
What is forest coffee?
Coffee that grows under the trees of the natural forest, with very little intervention. It is a small part of Ethiopian coffee.
Is all Kaffa coffee wild?
No. There is forest coffee, but also semi-forest, gardens and plantations.
What is Kaffa’s link to Gesha coffee?
The Gesha district lies in the Keffa zone, and the Gesha variety takes its name from the forests of that area.
What is the Kafa Biosphere Reserve?
An area protected by UNESCO since 2010 to conserve its forests and the genetic diversity of wild arabica coffee.