Etiopía – Chelichele

The coffee is grown naturally under trees (especially Ensete, a false banana tree). The best cherry is bought from the farmers of Worka Kebele. The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavors, even between (or within) farms with similar growing and processing conditions. Cultivation methods in the region remain largely traditional. Yirgacheffe farmers often intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholder farmers because it provides food for their families and maximizes land use.

In addition to continuing to use traditional intercropping, most farms are also organic by default.

Farmers hand-pick the ripe cherries and deliver them to the station. At the entrance, employees visually inspect the cherries and accept only fully ripe cherries for anaerobic fermentation. The selected cherries are hermetically packed and sealed. The cherry ferments anaerobically (without oxygen) for 18 to 24 hours.

After fermentation, the cherry is carefully removed from the bags and allowed to dry in direct sunlight on raised beds. Workers turn the cherries frequently to promote uniform drying. It takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks for the cherry to dry.