The Single Friend: Ethiopia Guji Kercha Grade 1 Natural

BACKGROUND

The Guji region lies approximately 300 to 400 km south of Addis Ababa in the Guji Zone of the Oromia Region. The Guji region has a long genealogy. In 2002, Guji itself detached from Yirgacheffe, which had previously been attached to the Sidamo region. The Guji region, which was created in 2002, takes its name from the Oromo people, a tribe who have farmed coffee on the land for generations.

The Oromo people of Guji consider their region as the ancestral cradle of Oromo culture. The ceremonies, rituals, and lore that come forth of the Gada age-group system, are still subsequently and widely practiced among Guji’s inhabitants. Besides the system, coffee farming has ancient roots within the Guji culture – the two are inseparable. Coffee from Guji was once grouped in with coffees from all over the Yirgacheffe region. Before Yirgacheffe was its own region, those coffees were blended with coffee from a wide geographical area that encompassed much of central-south Ethiopia under the grade “Sidamo”.

This coffee was produced by 650 smallholder farmers, each with an average land size of about 2 hectare/farmer. Grown at altitudes ranging 1850-1950masl. The soil is fertile, reddish brown, with good drainage and approximately 1.5m in depth. The coffee grows among shade, with an average rainfall between 1800-2000mm and temperatures of 20-23°C.

The flowering period lasts between the beginning of January, until the end of February. Harvest begins at mid-October until the end of January the following year.
This microlot is processed using natural methods. The cherries are left on as they dry in the sun on African drying beds for approximately 15-21 days.During the day the cherries are raked to ensure a consistent drying process. During the hottest part of the day 12pm - 3pm the cherries are covered to protect them from the hot sun, and again during the night to prevent moisture and rainfall from reaching it.