KONGA, Ethiopia

Konga village is found in the Ethiopian coffee heartland, Yirgacheffe - roasted for espresso, this coffee fills the cup with a sweet note like apricot jam.

Found in the kebele, or village, of Konga, the Sede washing station receives cherries from around 400 farmers. At 4kms south of the town of Yirgacheffe, this is one of the Ethiopian coffee heartlands, with profiles showing the stone-fruit, citrus, and florals that have made the region famous. An altitude of almost 1900m, the shade-grown coffees slowly mature. Producers use traditional methods, without fertilizers or pesticides, to preserve the dense vegetation in which the heirloom varietals thrive.

In Ethiopia, natural coffees are typically delivered the day they are harvested, and are first sorted for ripeness and quality before being rinsed clean of dirt. Then they are spread on raised drying beds or tables, where they will be rotated constantly throughout the course of drying. Drying can take an average of 8–25 days, depending on the weather.