Ethiopia 
Koke Shalaye Washing Station
Abreham Mengiste
Koke village
Gedeo Zone
Yirgacheffe
1973 masl
Ethiopian Landrace
Black Honey

Red plum, manuka honey, and jasmine.

In southern Ethiopia’s Gedeo zone, near the village of Koke, more than 2,040 smallholder farmers grow coffee in their coffee gardens. Flourishing along the Fetay River, the coffee gardens benefit from fertile soil and natural compost, and since Ethiopian coffee grows naturally within the local ecosystem, it is inherently organic.

Secret coffee garden: Most Ethiopian farmers are smallholder sustenance farmers, often owning less than one hectare of land. It would be more accurate to describe these farms as 'coffee gardens' with plants thriving in intercropped wild and biodiverse forest gardens. Because of their place historically and culturally, coffee gardens are an important part of life in Ethiopia. Coffee gardens offer financial opportunity, reliable income, nourishment through intercropping, and the added benefit of all of this contributing to self-sustaining biodiversity.  

Koke Shalaye Washing station: The Koke Shalaye washing station was established by Abreham Mengiste in 2019. Covering 2.5 hectares, it includes 220 drying beds and 12 fermentation tanks. The station employs a range of processing techniques, such as washed, natural, anaerobic fermentation, honey processing, and carbonic maceration (the last two are pretty rare in Ethiopia!). Due to its exceptional quality, the station received recognition from the African Taste of Harvest competition in 2019.

Black Honey: A rare process in Ethiopia- How to! (Tell me your secrets):

1. Hand-pick the ripest cherries.
2. Remove the parchment within 18 hours.
3. Place the beans in the fermentation tanks for 48–72 hours.
4. Pulp the outer skin, but be sure to leave 80% of the mucilage intact.
5. Dry the coffee on African beds for 15–21 days.
6. Hand-turn regularly to ensure even drying.
7. Once moisture levels reach 10–12%, they’re ready for storage.

Honey, what's the deal? The classification of different 'honeys' depends upon the amount of fruit pectin layer left intact during drying. In this case, nearly 80% is left on, so as the beans dry, they turn a super dark purple, almost black, colour, hence 'Black Honey'.

Although honey-processed coffee has lower acidity and increased sweetness than its washed coffee counterpart, it is the coffee's honey-like appearance during processing that gives honey processing its name--all that fruit and breaking down of sugars creates a sticky jamminess that envelopes the beans.

Patience, we're nearly there: Before being exported, the coffee undergoes pre-cleaning to remove foreign materials (little leaves and sticks, etc). Afterward, it's hulled and polished, which removes the parchment and silver skin. A colour sorter is then used to eliminate any defects before the beans are carefully bagged in Grainpro bags for export.

Better for all: This coffee is sourced from Primrose Coffee, a company with over 20 years of experience in Ethiopian green coffee exports. They are also a proud member of the Ethiopian chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, ensuring ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.