Producers in the Gedeo Zone don’t have it easy.
The sheer density of competition in the region so prized by the market has been known to double the price of cherries throughout a single harvest, and without a governing union to secure financing, regulate prices, or centralize milling and marketing to mitigate export costs, producers need an edge to stay afloat. Outstanding quality simply isn’t enough — they must also have enough business acumen and connections to win the attention of farmers and buyers alike.
That’s why this coffee from Aricha washing station is such a triumph, reaching us through our friends at Royal Coffee thanks to its deep ties to Yirgacheffe’s celebrity. Originally known as “Misty Valley” — so-called for the humidity that blankets the area each night — the private washing station receives cherries from 650 neighbouring farms of about 2 hectares each. After sorting and depulping, the coffee is fermented for 36-48 hours, then washed and dried for 10-12 days on raised beds.
The region’s renowned terroir shines through beautifully here, with heady notes of white peach and lavender bringing sweet florality to creamy milk chocolate.
