Ethiopia is the primary center of origin of the Arabica coffee plant, and as such, it’s where Elegant Coffee began. Coffea Arabica has been growing wild in the forests of the Southwestern Highlands of Kaffa and Buno districts of Ethiopia for thousands of years. As legend has it, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia in the 9th century by a goat-herder named Kaldi. He noticed that his goats became hyper after eating the cherries from the coffee tree, so he tried it himself. A monk approached Kaldi after he consumed the cherries and took some to his monastery. The monk roasted and brewed the coffee to share with other monks. As a result, they were able to stay awake during long nights of prayer. Since then, coffee has been widely accepted as a stimulant drink.

Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa and is bordered by Somalia to the Southeast, Djibouti to the east, Kenya to the south, Sudan to the east, and Eritrea to the northeast. It occupies the high plateau region between the Nile plains of the Sudan and Eritrea. Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa with an area of over 1.13 million square kilometers. It has a rugged topography with altitudes ranging from around 100 meters below sea-level in the Danakil depression to 4,600 meters above sea-level in the Semien Mountains.

Ethiopia has over 70 ethnic groups that speak over 200 languages. As a result, coffee is referred to as Bunna (Amharic), Bun (Tigrigna), Buna (Oromifa), Bono (Kefficho), and Kawa (Guragigna). Some argue that most names for coffee are derived from the names of the districts Kafa and Buno. The French and Spanish call it Cafe, the Italians call it Caffe, the Germans call it Kaffee, the Finnish call it Kahvi, the Dutch call it Koffie, and the Greek call it Kafes. All are phonetic approximations of the Ethiopian word.

Elegant Coffee Is Family Owned & Operated

Elegant Coffee has been delivering quality coffee since we opened in 2018. Our goal is to provide a superior customer experience, coffee your way through customization, and tremendous value for our customers!

Russell Craig has over 10 years of experience in Quality Coffee and is passionate about exceeding your expectations. While living in Ethiopia for over 10 years, he took an interest in every aspect of coffee; how it’s grown, picked, washed, dried, and roasted. Gaining knowledge of the process from the locals, he decided to start his own coffee business, Elegant Coffee. Since 2018, he has partnered with other farms around the world to provide a truly Elegant Coffee experience, delivered from us, to you.

Our partners in Ethiopia and now-around the world; work ensure every bean arrives safe, fresh, and ready to roast.