About Chelchele Natural of Ethiopia

Chelchele Natural comes to us from many smallholder farmers in Gedeb, a district within the larger Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia.

After farmers deliver freshly harvested coffee to the nearby processing facility, or washing station as they are known in Ethiopia, it is sorted to remove any debris and underripe or overripe fruit. This step is crucial to ensure a consistent and high quality final product. Then the coffee is transferred to raised beds to dry in the sun for two to four weeks, being turned regularly so that it slowly and evenly reaches a desired moisture level. The fully dried fruit from these drying beds is combined and stored in a cool warehouse where it stabilizes for another couple of weeks before first being hulled to remove the dried fruit and then milled to remove the parchment, a protective layer that surrounds each coffee seed.

While most Ethiopian coffees are field blends of many heirloom varieties, Chelchele Natural consists of 74112 and 74110, two variety selections identified by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC). Since its formation in 1967, JARC has cataloged 42 indigenous Ethiopian coffee varieties and created 9 hybrid varieties, documenting characteristics like yield, cup quality, and drought and disease resistance. It breeds these selections and distributes specific seedlings to certain areas, supporting coffee cultivation in each unique growing region of Ethiopia.