It’s always a good time when the new harvest from Ethiopia arrives into the roastery. This new coffee from the Bochesa washing station in Sidama is a floral and peachy delight, and we can’t wait for you to try it.
The Bochesa washing station is located in the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia, and is named after the local kebele (the country’s smallest administrative division). Sidama is home to four and a half million people, the majority of whom are the Sidama people, an ethnic group who traditionally inhabited the area. Like many of Ethiopia’s ethnic groups, the Sidama people have their own unique language, traditions, and cultural practices. They even have their own New Year, Fichee-Chambalaalla, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an example of intangible cultural heritage.
Sidama is one of the most famous coffee-producing regions of Ethiopia, with many of its inhabitants growing coffee as their main source of income. It covers an area of fertile land spreading through the highlands south of Lake Awasa in the Rift Valley, and includes similarly famous micro-regions like Yirgacheffe and Guji. Elevation can reach upwards of 2,200 metres above sea level, meaning cooler temperatures and a longer development period for the cherry—an important element of growing delicious coffee.
Sidama is also one of three regions trademarked by the Ethiopian government, alongside Yirgacheffe and Harrar. The move that led to a dispute with Starbucks in the 2000s although after a pressure campaign by Oxfam America and Ethiopian farmers the coffee giant eventually relented.
You might have seen coffee marketed as “Ethiopia Sidamo”, although like many other names in Ethiopia (see “gesha” vs “geisha”) there is some confusion over the term. Sidamo was the name of the region until 1995, when it was merged into a larger state called the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region. Following a referendum in 2020 in favour of increased autonomy, that state was split up and the current Sidama region emerged. The coffee industry continues to use both relatively interchangeably.
This coffee comes from more than 800 smallholder farmers working plots at altitudes above 2,000 metres above sea level, who deliver freshly-harvested cherry to the Bochesa washing station.
Like most Ethiopian farmers, the Bochesa producers grow coffee on tiny plots, often less than one hectare—what is often called “garden coffee” because the trees surround the farmer’s home. The vast majority are not able to process their own coffee, and thus usually sell what they harvest directly to a washing station to be sorted, fermented, washed, and dried ready for export.
This particular lot is made up of cultivars that have been adapted from some of Ethiopia's many heirloom or landrace varieties, chosen for specific attributes like their taste or ability to resist disease and pests. There are thousands of coffee varieties growing wild in Ethiopia’s mountainous forests, the majority of which have yet to be documented. Although the country’s Jimma Agricultural Research Center is working to classify these wild varieties, the terms “heirloom” or “landrace” are often still used as umbrella terms for coffees that have yet to be fully studied.
Water is a precious resource so the washed process must be handled carefully. Freshly-picked cherry is processed using water-efficient practices, and any wastewater is treated before disposal. The Bochesa station does more than just buy cherry: it provides seedlings to the local community and offers financial support and premium payments to farmers based on coffee deliveries.
We love a good washed Ethiopian coffee here at Glen Lyon, and this new coffee is no exception. We’re loving its floral, peachy notes, as well as the clean brightness for which Ethiopian coffee is known. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
