The Kochere woreda (district) is found in the Gedeo zone. Here the high altitudes and loamy iron-rich acidic soil give rise to a bright, floral profile ranked as one of the best of southern Ethiopian coffees--strong fruit tea notes along with crisp apple and stone fruit. 15 washing stations service the approximately 25,000 local coffee smallholders there.
The air in the growing regions of Ethiopia is heavy with the scent of coffee flowers--like jasmine and orange flowers, and yet not at all like. Coffee’s origin is shrouded in mystery but is believed to have begun in Ethiopia, where heirloom varieties still grow wild beside the road. As the story goes, a drowsy goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats were perkier after nibbling on the coffee trees, and tried the cherry for himself. Caffeine was discovered, and coffee’s epic began.
