Лоти:
Імпортер: CMG
Країна: Ethiopia
Регіон: Sidamo
Ферма: Bensa Shantaweni Station
Різновид: JARC varieties , Local Landraces
Висота вирощування: 1 860 – 1 990 masl
Період збору врожаю: Low elevations: October – December | High Elevations: November – January
Обробка: Anaerobic Natural
Процес ферментації: Cherry ferments anaerobically (without oxygen) for 18 to 24 hours.
Фермер:
Виробник: Various smallholder farmers delivering to Worka Chelichele Washing Station
Про каву:
ABOUT THIS COFFEE
Bensa Shantaweni washing station is located at 1,860 to 1,990 meters above sea level in Benesa, Sidamo. Farmers delivering to Bensa Shantaweni cultivate local landraces and JARC varieties on small farms, typically less than 5 hectares each.
CULTIVATION
Many would say that the strength of Sidamo coffees lie in the regions’ diversity of profiles. The many microclimates and varying soil types lead to striking differences from town to town. But across all Sidamo coffees is a profound complexity that many attribute to the diversity of local landrace varieties. Varieties can differ from town to town and even farm to farm where each farmer may have more than one unique variety seldom or never found outside their plot.
When all these different varieties are blended at the local cooperative, the resulting blend expresses the complexity of the plant genetics in the area.
Farming methods in Sidamo remain largely traditional. Sidamo farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.
In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also traditional and organic-by-default. Farmers in Sidamo typically use very few—if any—fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually and very few tasks are mechanized, even during processing.
HARVEST & POST-HARVEST
Farmers selectively handpick ripe cherry and deliver it to the station. At intake, employees visually inspect cherry and accept only fully ripe cherry for anaerobic fermentation. Selected cherry is tightly packed in GrainPro bags and sealed shut. Cherry ferments anaerobically (without oxygen) for 18 to 24 hours.
After fermentation, cherry is carefully removed from bags and laid to dry in direct sunlight on raised beds. Workers turn cherry frequently to promote even drying. It takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks for cherry to dry.
ABOUT ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION
As more producers and washing stations enter specialty coffee, unique processing methods are a new way to stand out among the increasing number of sellers. One of those newer processing methods is anaerobic fermentation.
Anaerobic fermentation occurs in sealed containers. The seal means the microbes fueling fermentation quickly consume all the oxygen in the container. At that point, the environment become anaerobic (without oxygen). In this new environment, the microbes that typically breath oxygen have a harder time surviving and those that flourish on carbon dioxide (the typical byproduct of oxygen-breathing microbes) are able dominate fermentation.
Microbes are immensely diverse and have the potential to produce a wide array of flavors in coffees. Aerobic (oxygen-breathing) microbes produce different flavor outcomes than anaerobic ones, so we have the potential to produce vastly different flavors simply by changing the available resources for microbes.