Eastern highland naturals described as winey and dried-fruit toned, with beans traditionally sorted as longberry, shortberry or Mocha (peaberry).
Harrar (also spelled Harar) is a trade name for coffee from the Hararghe highlands of eastern Ethiopia, around the walled city of Harar. It grows across the East and West Hararghe zones of Oromia, while the small Harari Region that holds the city is enclaved by Oromia. Harrar is dried as natural, and one exporter says there are no washing stations in the zone because the dry climate makes sun-dried natural the practical method. That exporter gives 1,500-2,100 m and a November to February harvest. Beans are traditionally sorted by size and shape into longberry (large), shortberry (smaller) and Mocha (peaberry), and importers describe heavy-bodied cups with winey, dried-fruit and spice notes. Harar is also one of three names, with Sidamo and Yirgacheffe, in the 2006-2007 trademark dispute between Ethiopia and Starbucks, which ended in a licensing agreement.
Field notes
- i
Harrar beans are traditionally sorted as longberry (large), shortberry (smaller) and Mocha, which is the peaberry, the single round bean some cherries hold.
- ii
Harar coffee grows in the highlands around the walled city of Harar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- iii
The husks of Harrar cherries are brewed as a tea called hasher-qahwa.
- iv
East and West Hararghe together produced about 12,018 tons of coffee in the year ending 2005, roughly 5.3% of Ethiopia's total.
- v
Harar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe were the three names in the 2006 trademark fight with Starbucks, settled by a licensing agreement in June 2007.
In the cup, according to guides
- Dried fruitOften notedImporters describe dried fruit and raisin in Harrar, and one exporter lists raisin and dried berries for shortberry lots.
- WineyOften notedImporter guides describe winey, fermented-fruit character in naturally processed Harrar.
- BodyMoreOne exporter describes a full body in both longberry and shortberry, and another guide says Harrar is prized for its heavy body.
Varietals
Processing
Elsewhere in Ethiopia
Sources · 9 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Harar Coffee: Buyer's Sourcing Guide · Ethio Coffee
- Harar coffee: origin page · Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC (Ethiopian exporter)
- Guide to Ethiopian Green Coffee Origins · Ethio Coffee (exporter)
- Ethiopian Coffee: Taste, Growing Regions, Production, and Brewing · Colipse Coffee
- Ethiopian Coffee Guide · 1Zpresso
- Coffee production in Ethiopia · Wikipedia
- East Hararghe Zone · Wikipedia
- West Hararghe Zone · Wikipedia
- Harari Region · Wikipedia