The History of Gesha Coffee and the Origin of Its Name
According to researchers, Gesha coffee was discovered by British colonists in the 1930s in the Gori Gesha forest of Ethiopia. The British consulate collected the seeds and initially planted them in Tanzania before transferring them to Costa Rica. From Costa Rica, the variety was introduced to Panama and other regions, thanks to coffee producer Don Pachi, who acquired it from the agricultural organization CATIE.
It wasn't until the early 2000s that Gesha coffee gained fame when the Peterson family in Boquete, Panama, entered it into the Best of Panama competition and auction. It received exceptional ratings and broke records for the highest price paid for green coffee beans at that time.
The letter about the Geisha coffee variety, discovered by Richard Whalley in Ethiopia, was sent to the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE).
However, an interesting anomaly emerged during the Best of Panama auction: the coffee was labeled “Geisha” instead of “Gesha.” Even more surprisingly, from the 1930s to the early 2000s, most people referred to this coffee as "Geisha." The term “Gesha” only appeared in research papers or among Ethiopian coffee experts.
An article from Daily Coffee News references Rachel Peterson of Hacienda La Esmeralda, who explained that the name "Geisha" was used because it was the name recorded by Don Pachi Serracin—the man who transported the seeds from CATIE to Panama. These seeds had been cataloged at CATIE in Costa Rica in 1953 under the accession number Geisha VC-496.
Tracing further back to when the British consulate first transported Gesha coffee in the 1930s, records from letters to CATIE explicitly mention "Geisha coffee" as originating from the "Geisha" mountains of Ethiopia. This suggests that the famous coffee championed by Rachel Peterson and the coffee originally exported by the British were the same variety, with the name "Geisha" derived from its supposed growing region—the Geisha mountains.
Gesha or Geisha – A Story That Stands the Test of Time
A letter detailing the Geisha variety, found by Richard Whalley in Ethiopia, was sent to the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE). However, historical researchers have examined both ancient Greek maps and modern maps, finding no mountain in Ethiopia named "Geisha." Instead, there is a "Gesha" mountain located near Kaffa, Ethiopia. This evidence indicates that the correct name should be "Gesha," not "Geisha," as it has often been called.
Why the Name "Geisha" Persisted
Historians believe that the term "Geisha" may have resulted from phonetic misinterpretation. The local Ethiopian people speak Kafa, and the name "Gesha" could have been Romanized as "Geisha" due to differences in pronunciation. Another possible reason is subjective branding choices by coffee researchers, who believed "Geisha" sounded more exotic, appealing, and marketable. However, this remains a hypothesis, and the name "Geisha" continues to be a topic of curiosity for those exploring the origins of this legendary coffee.
Today, in Africa, people generally refer to it as Gesha coffee, whereas in Latin America, the name Geisha is more common. Despite the linguistic variations, the coffee has no connection to Japanese Geisha artists. The name "Gesha" originates from an Ethiopian mountain region, the birthplace of this unique coffee variety. Therefore, using the correct name—Gesha—honors the culture and agricultural heritage of the land that first cultivated it. Ethiopia, one of the world’s finest coffee-producing nations, deserves recognition for its contribution to coffee history.
The term "Geisha" remains widely used in Central and South America, likely due to its connection with CATIE, where the seeds were originally stored. In Panama, the Peterson family has continued to share Geisha seeds with various farms, preserving the name "Geisha" as a mark of respect for tradition, at least within Panama’s coffee industry.
Conclusion
The term "Gesha" gained popularity due to Joseph Brodsky, the founder of Ninety Plus, and is now commonly used to refer to African Gesha varieties, particularly those from Ethiopia. Meanwhile, renowned farms such as Hacienda La Esmeralda and Elida Estate prefer to keep the name "Geisha" for their coffee. The Lamastus family, owners of Elida Estate, state that their Geisha variety, Geisha T.2722, should not be renamed Gesha.
When Geisha coffee from Colombia or Bolivia is labeled as "Geisha," it is essential to respect the name given by producers rather than automatically assuming it is incorrect.
Ultimately, whether you call it Geisha or Gesha, this is just one of many fascinating discussions about the origins and history of this extraordinary coffee variety.
This article was compiled from various online sources by the THAIYEN team.
THAIYEN CAFE Team