The Alya Washing Station was established, managed and operated by Testi Trading. Testi oversees all quality protocols, manages the stations during on & offseason, and mills and exports the products. They work with smallholder farmers, intending to secure the very best prices for their coffee so that they can pay fair prices for the cherry delivered
400 smallholder farmers deliver cherry to the three different Shantawene collection points
Process
For this natural coffee, the fruit is first collected and sorted by hand, removing any under or overripe cherries. Next, the sorted coffee cherry is taken to the raised beds to dry. Here, it will remain for between 15-18 days, drying slowly and regularly raked and sorted to preserve the high natural quality of the coffee. The drying coffee is covered in the hottest part of the day to prevent over-drying. Once dry, the coffee is milled to remove the dried fruit, before being sorted again and prepped for export.
About The Region
The Sidamo zone, also known as Sidama, is a coffee area found in the state of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). Because Sidama is the name of the politically defined province, we like to treat Sidamo as the, much larger, coffee zone that encompasses several other zones and woredas outside of Sidama.
Sidama people
Sidama has a population of around 3.5 million, who speak the Cushitic language Sidamigna. As all other ethnic groups in the country, they have their own traditions, culture, and celebrate their own New Year called “Fiche Chembelala” (UNESCO inscribed it as world heritage in 2015). The people take great pride in this.
Characteristics and use
The strength of Sidamo lies in its variety which often results in a profound complexity of taste. The farmers in Sidamo grow their own unique varietals on small pieces of land and deliver their yields to processing sites. This results in a blend of “mixed heirloom” that gives Sidamo coffee its sought-after complexity. Sidamo coffee is often used as a single but could also be the pillar of a strong blend.