Introduction:As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is renowned for its distinctive floral and citrus notes. Among its offerings, the "Hua Kui" coffee gained widespread attention after winning the 2017 TOH Harvest Flavor Competition. This article delves into the background and format of the TOH competition, how it differs from COE, and explores the growing region, processing method, and flavor profile of Hua Kui coffee—offering insight into how this globally popular natural-processed bean stood out on the African stage.

Ethiopia is the highest-producing coffee country in Africa and is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Thanks to its exceptional altitude, climate, and soil conditions, the country’s coffee is generally celebrated for its captivating floral and citrus characteristics, making it highly favored in the global specialty coffee market. Among the many Ethiopian natural-processed beans, "Hua Kui" is undoubtedly one of the most iconic names.

This coffee bean, labeled as "Ethiopia Guji Hambella Buku Abel," is the Chinese name given by domestic traders, but it actually originates from the Buku Abel washing station in Ethiopia’s Guji Hambella region. The currently circulating "Hua Kui 8.0" version, as brewed by a certain trader, exhibits intense aromas of dried mango, citrus, and jackfruit—tropical fruit notes with a rich, juice-like smooth mouthfeel and a tea-like soft sweetness in the aftertaste. With its layered complexity, it is well-suited for pour over enthusiasts who appreciate fruity profiles.

Hua Kui’s international fame began when it participated in the TOH (Taste of Harvest) Harvest Flavor Competition in 2017 and won the natural category championship. The bean, submitted by Ethiopia’s DW Coffee Company that year, captivated judges with its intense berry aroma and creamy-smooth mouthfeel. But what exactly is TOH? And how does it differ from the well-known COE (Cup of Excellence)? Let’s start with the background of the competition.

TOH stands for Taste of Harvest, commonly translated in Chinese as the "Harvest Flavor Competition." It is organized by the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA). Established in July 2000, AFCA is a membership-based non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality and international competitiveness of African coffee. Its members include coffee farmers, traders, government bodies, and supporting institutions from producing regions, with 11 African countries currently participating: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

AFCA holds the TOH competition at the beginning of each year, divided into two main levels: first, the national competitions (NATIONAL) within member countries, followed by the African regional finals (REGIONAL) where national representatives compete. The competition features two major coffee categories—Arabica and Robusta—where Arabica is further divided into washed, natural, and honey processing method subcategories. Hua Kui took part in the natural category of that year’s competition.

The winners from each national competition represent their countries in the African regional finals, held during the African Fine Coffee Conference & Exhibition. The competition uses the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standard cupping score system, where internationally certified judges rigorously evaluate entries based on aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, and overall impression, ultimately selecting the top five in each category.

The goal of TOH is to discover and promote the finest coffees from Africa’s various producing regions—not only giving award-winning beans a chance to shine on the international stage, but also enhancing the overall image and market value of African coffee, thereby encouraging greater collaboration and purchasing interest from international buyers toward African origins.

In early 2024, AFCA once again partnered with the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority to hold the latest edition of the TOH Harvest Flavor Competition in the capital, Addis Ababa, continuing to uncover surprising flavors from the African continent for the global specialty coffee market.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.