Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and the beans that make up this cup are spectacular examples of the heirloom beans that come from the country, as well as the traditional natural dry process, in which the coffee cherry is dried on the bean like a raisin, and then mechanically removed from the seed. One of the great things about Ethiopian coffees is the complete mix of varietals. It is estimated that somewhere between six thousand and ten thousand varietals exist naturally in the highlands. The cross pollination of genetics creates a biological diversity among the plants not seen anywhere else in the coffee-growing world.