Ethiopia Wush Wush Washed

Considered by many to be the birthplace of coffee, Keffa is where the legend of Kaldi, the goat herder, is said to have originated. Approximately 2500 farmers in southwestern highlands of Ethiopia bring their coffee cherries to the Wush Wush washing station to be processed. In fact, this region in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia is where our favorite beverage gets its name.

This coffee is selectively harvested, then hand sorted at the washing station before being subjected to a float tank to isolate the higher density cherries from the lower density cherries. After being drained, the cherries are taken to drying tables positioned under a shaded mesh canopy. It took close to 30 days to dry this particular natural lot.

Many of the cultivated trees in this area are younger, having been introduced through the JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Center) for particular cup quality in these microclimates. These varieties are identified by the numerical designations - 74110 and 74112. Numerous wild coffee varieties proliferate throughout this region as well, predominantly Ethiopian heirloom varieties along with what are sometimes referred to as “Landrace,” a term for naturally adapted local varieties.

Like in most of Ethiopia, growers in the Uraga district are smallholders, aka “garden farmers,” so called because most of them are producing coffee in the “garden” areas around their homes, often by harvesting cherries from coffee trees growing wild on their land. Farm sizes tend to be between .5 to 2 hectares in size on average, though occasionally can reach upwards of 10 hectares. The average yearly yield in green coffee from the smaller farms is around 2 to 4 bags.