What is the Abyssinia coffee varietal?

Abyssinia is a coffee cultivar introduced to Java by Dutch researchers in 1928. The name reflects its origins - Abyssinia was the historical name for Ethiopia, and that's where the plant material came from. From Java it spread to other parts of Indonesia, most notably Aceh in northern Sumatra, where it remains part of the local coffee landscape.

The variety is recognisable by its longberry beans and bronze-coloured new leaf growth. It exists in two documented forms - AB-3 and AB-7 - with AB-7 thought to have been crossed with the Timor Hybrid to produce further descendants.

You won't encounter Abyssinia named as a single varietal on most export specifications - it's more part of the underlying genetic fabric of traditional Indonesian production than a commercial variety in its own right. Worth knowing when exploring the deeper history of Sumatran coffee origins.