Ethiopia Worka Sakaro
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Varietal: Heirloom Blend
Region: Worka Sakaro, Gedeb
Altitude: 1950 - 2050m
Harvest: Jan 23
The Cappuccino Kid says...
"An Oxygen-deprived “anaerobic” fermentation coffee with exaggerated characteristics that produce unique flavors and an intense tanginess. Tropical fruit-dominant with soft acids and a structure that is both creamy and juicy. If this coffee were a band then it would be The Fall, a unique and rowdy digression from the mainstream.”
About the Processing
At worka Sakaro, naturally processed coffees are sorted by hand on arrival and then taken to raised beds to fully dry, typically a 21 day process. This lot however received a unique twist on the traditional natural; fresh cherry is first vacuum sealed in stainless steel canisters for 4-5 days, creating an oxygen derived environment that is increasingly pressurized by the carbon dioxide emitted during the fermentation of the fresh fruit. Once the vacuum fermentation is complete, the cherry, now pale yellow from the loss of pigment is transferred directly to raised beds to sun dry for 15-18 days until moisture reaches the level of a typical complete natural.
About Worka Sakaro
Worka Sakaro is a municipality located in north east Gedeb close to the Guji border. It is a remote but impressively industrious area for coffee production. Of the 1300 hectares that comprise the area, over half of them are planted with coffee. The worka sakaro is owned by Tracon Coffee, an independent exporter that manages 6 stations in Gedeo. 852 smallholder farmers contribute cherry to worka sakaro. Each farmer averages 1.6 hectares.
About Ethiopian Heirlooms Varietals
Ethiopia is the birthplace of all coffee and accounts for 10% of the country’s GDP. Ethiopia contains more coffee biodiversity than any other producing region with over 100 different and unique varietals now confirmed. Some estimates put the number of regional landraces in Ethiopia at over 10,000 varieties, many of which have not been individually cataloged. Also, coffee growers use hybrid varieties developed by JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Centre). These varieties are more resistant to pests and often provide higher yields.
Unlike other producing countries however it is almost impossible to source single varietal coffee lots. In Ethiopia all lots, no matter which one of the indigenous varieties they are, are mixed together and graded based on quality under the watchful control of the ECX. As a result almost all Ethiopian coffees are blends of the many Ethiopian varieties, and referred to as 'Ethiopian Landrace' or "heirloom varietals"