This very sweet, full-bodied coffee tastes of mango and pineapple, with a finish reminiscent of blueberry jam.

Region : Shakizo, Ethiopie
Farm : Sookoo Coffee, Ture Waji
Variety: 74110, 74112
Altitude : 2175M
Method: Natural
Notes: Mango, pineapple, blueberry

Largely covered by vast expanses of forest, Guji is one of the twenty zones comprising the Oromia administrative region, which, with its 30 million inhabitants, is the most populous of the country’s 9 regions. Guji’s ancient forests, its volcanic soil rich in silt and clay, as well as its temperate climate and high elevation, have in recent years brought renown to certain woredas (districts), such as Uraga, Kercha, and Shakiso. The success of this terroir would not have been possible, however, without the expertise and hard work of local farmers. This lot is the result of the work of 33 farmers whose “garden” plots rarely exceed 2.5 hectares. On this type of farm, coffee plants are scattered around the main dwelling beneath a semi-forest canopy, alongside other subsistence crops (vegetables, maize, etc.). Once the coffee cherries have been harvested, they are carried on foot to the washing station located in the kebele (village) of Dambi Uddo, where they are sold. This step is usually carried out in the middle of the night to prevent the cherries from being overexposed to the sun. 

Once delivered to the Dambi Uddo washing station, owner Ture Waji and his team take over to transform the cherries into green coffee beans ready for shipment. Beginning in 2008, Ture Waji, nicknamed the “King of Guji,” took advantage of the liberalization of Ethiopia’s coffee export market to establish Sookoo Coffee. Through the company, he operates his two washing stations (Dambi Uddo and Raro Nansebo) as well as his export license, which allows him to transport his coffee first to the capital, Addis Ababa, and then to the port of Djibouti. Ture has been involved in his community for more than 10 years, having previously worked for Mormora Coffee and Guji Highlands Coffee. Since Sookoo Coffee was founded in 2018, this involvement has taken the form of building a school and several roads, as well as providing microloans to farmers, enabling them to finance certain pre-harvest tasks and thereby slightly easing the burden on households. Between harvests, Waji provides agricultural training for community members, while his two washing stations adhere to a strict “Women First” policy aimed at promoting women’s empowerment by guaranteeing them access to a stable income. The Café Pista team feels extremely privileged to be able to work in the footsteps of the Bookkisa producers and Ture Waji, and to share the fruits of passionate work with our own community. This relationship with Ture Waji was made possible once again thanks to our importing partner, Osito Coffee.

Bookkisa is hand-picked at full ripeness, at an altitude of 2175m, between November and February. It is then carefully sorted to remove cherries that are overripe or underripe, before the remaining cherries are spread out on raised beds. On these beds, the cherries form a layer no more than 4 cm thick and are turned 6 times a day to optimize airflow. They are thus sun-dried for a period of 21 to 28 days before being mechanically depulped. Bookkisa consists of varieties 74110 (Gibirinna) and 74112 (Serto). These two varieties were selected by JARC (Jimma Agricultural Research Center) starting in 1979 for their resistance to certain diseases, as well as their high sensory potential.