ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia is considered the cradle of coffee and famous for the fact that it was in the forest in the Kaffa region where Coffea Arabica grew wild. Nowadays, the country shows a typical “smallholder” structure. The smallholder farmers grow the coffee on their small parcels. After the harvest, a high number of farmers with a usually small production yield carry together their cherries and bring them to central washing stations rather than processing their coffee with their own machinery.

This coffee comes from South-West Ethiopia – more precisely from four Woredas: Jimma, Illubabor, Bench Maji, and Keficho Shekicho. After harvesting only the red and ripe cherries, they are brought to a nearby processing station where the natural preparation starts. Here, the coffee is thoroughly selected again and exposed to the sun on so-called “African Drying Beds” also known as suspended beds.

The drying process can take up to 14 days. To homogeneously reduce the humidity to approximately 12% the coffee is turned several times a day. Once the ideal moisture is reached the dry-milling process starts. During this step, the beans are milled, screened, and carefully prepared for export. The Ethiopia Abyssinian Mocca has a complex cup with very fruity and rummy flavors. It is overall sweet with hints of dried fruits.