Traceability Project

Ethiopia

Washed Sidamo Gr.1 – Nensebo

Region: Oromia, Sidamo

Municipality: Nensebo woreda

Farm: smallholder farmers

Altitude: 2070 m

Cultivation: Mix of sun and shade grown

Harvesting period: November through December

Soil type: Red clay soil

Varietal: 74112, 74110

Processing method: washed, 24-hour fermentation

Drying method: Sun-dried on shaded raised beds

Washed Process

The harvested coffee cherries are first selected, either mechanically or in water tanks, to remove unripe cherries and other foreign matter. They are then processed with depulpers to remove the skin (exocarp) and pulp (outer mesocarp).

With a portion of the mucilage (inner mesocarp) left on the parchment (endocarp), the coffee beans are fermented in water tanks for around 14 to 36 hours. During this time, the microorganisms in the beans help break down the mucilage with their enzymes.

The beans are then washed with fresh water and laid to dry on either cement patios or raised beds, or in some cases placed in mechanical dryers. They are turned regularly to avoid unwanted mold and further fermentation, and when the beans reach around 11% humidity they are stored in parchment (endocarp), before being milled and bagged.

Nensebo

From the highlands of the Sidamo region, this Grade 1 lot is grown in the Nensebo area at altitudes above 2,000 metres above sea level. The rich red soil, fertile and well-drained, combined with a cool microclimate of natural sun and shade, provides ideal conditions for the coffee plants to thrive.
Processing follows the washed method. After the hand-picking of only fully ripe cherries, the coffee is pulped and fermented for 24 hours. The beans are then dried on raised beds in the sun, where shade nets protect them from the most intense heat, ensuring consistent temperature control throughout the drying process.

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