Ethiopia Ayele Tulu
Notes: Blueberry, Apricot, Kiwi
Origin: Bona Zuria, Sidama, Ethiopia
Washing Station and Manager: Ayele Tulu
Process: Washed
Altitude: 2130-2350 MASL
Variety: Landraces
Fermentation: 24-72 hours
Drying Method: Raised beds
Drying Time: 10-15 days
About Ayele Tulu:
The Ayele Tulu Washing Station is situated in the Bona Zuria district of the Sidama region, more specifically in the Demeka Becha Kebele, 100 km from Hawassa, Ethiopia. Founded by second-generation grower Ayele Tulu and his son, Tsegab Ayele, Tsegab oversees all factory protocols from harvest to export, ensuring that each step adheres to the highest quality standards. Due to the region's high elevation, the coffees produced here are famously known as "Highland Coffee." Each year, approximately 600 smallholder producers bring ripe cherries to this washing station.
Bona Zuria:
Bona Zuria district, nestled in the Sidama zone of Ethiopia, is renowned for its rich landscapes and high-altitude coffee cultivation. The area's unique climate and fertile soil provide optimal conditions for producing high- quality coffee beans, establishing it as an important coffee-growing region.
Jimma Agricultural Research Center:
During the 20th century, coffee commercialization intensified and the government introduced a coffee grading and sorting system, leading to the creation of the Ethiopian National Coffee Board in 1957. To improve the uniformity and reliability of the country's coffee production, the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC) was founded in 1967. Located just outside Jimma, JARC's main responsibility is to collect, characterize and conserve coffee germplasm, improve agronomic practices, update processing techniques and, finally, develop varieties as a priority. These are then distributed to growers. These varieties are grown alongside local varieties that have been identified, classified and carefully selected, thus dispelling the misconception that all Ethiopian coffee is wild or of unknown origin. Since the 1970s, JARC's coffee breeders have developed and disseminated a total of 40 coffee varieties, now grown in all the major coffee-growing regions of Ethiopia.