Ethiopia Guji Hambela

The Dembi farm is situated in the Sidama region of Ethiopia, that is known as the region that produces the biggest number of high-quality coffees in Ethiopia.

Coffees in Ethiopia are typically grown on very small plots of land by farmers who also grow other crops. This is the reason the Dembi coffee is a result of the efforts of many small farmers, who use traditional growing and processing methods. This approach not only preserves the unique tasting profile of the coffee, but also helps the sustainable development of the local community.

Among coffee-producing countries, Ethiopia holds near-legendary status not only because it’s the “birthplace” of Arabica coffee, but also because it is simply unlike every other place in the coffee world. Unlike the vast majority of coffee-growing countries, the plant was not introduced as a cash crop through colonization. Instead, growing, processing, and drinking coffee is part of the everyday way of life, and has been for centuries, since the trees were discovered growing wild in forests and eventually cultivated for household use and commercial sale.

The Sidama region is popular for producing the biggest number of high-quality coffees in Ethiopia. This region is situated in fertile mountains, where half of the land is cultivated which explains the high quality of the coffee produced there. The surrounding rivers and lakes at this high altitude provides for a cool weather and fertile soil. Those natural factors, combined with over 100 inches of rain yearly, makes the coffee ripe slower that in any other region 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.

Heirloom is often used to refer to varieties that are native to the country, many of which are still found in the wild today. It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 15,000 heirloom varieties in Ethiopia today.