The realm of coffee is vast and varied, with brewing techniques and beans that have a rich history and unique flavor profiles.
When we look at Heirloom coffees, in a broader sense, refers to traditional or indigenous varieties that have been passed down through generations.
Getting Started
Many people may not know this but Ethiopia is the world's 5th largest coffee producer and its bean's genetic diversity is confidently unrivaled amongst the different coffee varieties.
Ethiopian coffee varieties are home to more than 130 wide-spread cultivated local and regional landraces (largely defined as coffees that grow wild in the Ethiopian forests) and you can experience and enjoy, as you familiarize yourself with the different coffees.
You can expect flavor profiles such as florals or tea inspired, or even something leaning towards more winey and heavy. While technology has improved and certainly evolved, there is not yet enough genetic testing to confirm and differentiate the various beans from one another to take them out of this 'heirloom coffee' category.
What does Landrace mean?
A landrace is defined as a coffee varietal that was originally part of a wild coffee collection and has since adapted itself to its environment and the more specific agroecological conditions.
What is heirloom coffee?
Considered essentially as a catch all phrase when discussing all Ethiopian coffee varieties the term heirloom coffee was originated. Buyers of Ethiopian coffees would categorize a combination of Ethiopian varieties of coffee plant under one umbrella term, Ethiopian heirloom.
The Arabica coffee plant which offers a coffee variety not necessarily easy to identify, like those of the Ethiopian coffees, and is a mix of sorts (from the same lot), is therefore classified as one large group and falls under the word heirloom coffee.
The term came to fruition during the specialty coffee movement when customers purchasing coffee weren't sure if they were buying Bourbon or Typica varieties and thus classified everything together. Bourbon was once known as Typica however overtime it mutated into a new and exciting variety distinguishing it from its orginial Typica varietal.
Fast forward a few decades, and with the significant improvement of traceability and transparency in the coffee supply chain network, the term heirloom is not as favorable as it once was.
What makes an heirloom coffee?
There are other heirloom plants like tomatoes or sweet peppers which too refers to produce grown in a specific region and geographical area, and essentially, for multiple generations remaining in that specific country or in designated regions.
As mentioned by Author and Agronomist Getu Bekele, when trying to determine when or what makes an heirloom coffee we are not navigated by dates or age for that cultivar to be considered a heirloom, and in this case an Ethiopian heirloom, but it is rather tested to meet regional landraces criteria.
Farmers who have developed heirloom coffee varieties or heirloom coffee beans have been doing so for many generations and thus meet these criteria.
Where can we find heirloom coffee?
The difference between the two main groups of coffee varieties cultivated in either Ethiopia or in different parts of the world comes down to how they are classified. For example, coffees from Ethiopia are sorted by their regional attributes, whereas we would describe and categorize coffees other than Ethiopian coffee using their breeding names.
Regional attributes for Ethiopian heirloom coffees include; Guji, Yirgacheffe, and Sidamo. By referring to coffees by their region such as Jimma and the likes, rather than through varieties such as Typica or Bourbon, and because the beans are smaller, the plants are not classified as hybrid but more so for being there for centuries.
By not defining coffees distinctly by their cultivar Mr Getu Bekele states that it is more relevant to the concept of space and time. But, in most coffee-producing countries in South America, Latin America, and Africa the coffee varieties are not linked to the word heirloom coffee.
In Ethiopia, we can find two main contenders of coffee variety, Jarc varieties, and regional landraces. The Jimma Agricultural Research Centre developed the Jarc varieties with a high yield ratio and noticed they were significantly resistant to pests.
Landrace
Should we be calling coffee a landrace or an heirloom, is one preferred or more coffee industry correct than the other?
Let's take into account both forms and what that means more intensely. Heirloom coffee refers to cultivated trees or in this case the plant of the coffee beans, that have been preserved by farmers or gardeners for several generations. They more often than not have bespoke characteristics.
These characteristics are native to the specific country or different regions such as in Ethiopia.
Then we have landrace characteristics that lend themselves to specific conditions over time. What distinguishes their diversity is when farmers allow the produce to be naturally shaped by natural selection, also not a hybrid, rather than deliberate human intervention and selection.
Could heirloom coffee be classified as a specialty coffee?
Coffee roasters have been increasingly interested in this topic and even more so as we see the successful expansion of the specialty coffee industry. Heirloom coffees are moving at an increased pace toward improved specificity.
For many years JARC has been working on improving coffee technologies within Ethiopia through plant selection and experimentation, with the hope of being as specific as possible in coffee identification for thriving growth in particular areas. The more work that goes into research and flavor profiles the better the quality of coffee we will receive in the bag next time we head to the shops or local market.
A final thought
At the end of the day learning about food or specific products takes time, but putting in the effort will not only increase your coffee knowledge, because can we ever know enough, but you can make better purchases of products by supporting local farm initiatives or small businesses.
A great way to get in touch is to check your coffee bag next time you get a delivery or pop to the store and see if there is a subscription email contact where you can then receive a free newsletter updating you on all you need to know about your favorite coffee.
Coffee roasters are continually in search of new customers and clients who enjoy coffee with great taste and are not afraid to try something new in terms of a bespoke taste or blend. Life is certainly worth living and if it means exploring new coffee beans and flavors, sign me up.
