Aricha is a remote community in Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region. It is home to one of the oldest coffee growing traditions in the world. To get to Aricha we have to fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, then take a 30 minute local flight to the city of Hawassa in Sidamo. In Hawassa we drive four hours on a paved road until we reach the Idido washing station in Yirgacheffe. In Aricha the paved road ends and the dirt roads begin. Aricha’s terrain is rugged and mountainous, so distance to the individual farms depends on where on the mountain they are located. The closest farms to the city are 20 minutes away by motorcycle and the furthest ones are an hour away.

The producers of Aricha intercrop their coffee with native trees of the area like the false banana tree to shade and fertilize their fields. Since the producers deliver all their coffee in cherry, the collection centers prepare and store organic compost and distribute it among the producers. Their coffee is fermented between 48 and 72 hours in fermentation tanks then dried between four and five days on raised beds, based on climate. The majority of producers here belong to the Gedeo culture and speak the Gedeo language. The traditions of their native culture are still very present in producers’ daily life. For instance, birds and domestic animals like dogs and cats are highly respected in the Aricha area.

This is a classic blueprint of washed Yirgacheffe coffee. Citric forward with honey and a black tea tannic structure.  Absolutely beautiful!