Boji Kochere — Ethiopia (natural)

Tasting notes

Black tea   — Citrus fruit — Strawberry

Boji is a washing station located in the Kochere woreda of the SNNPR region. It servwes around 500 smallholder producers. Kochere is a coffee-growing area close to the town of Yirgacheffe, home to some of the most-loved coffees in the world.

Natural processing at the station follows the traditional Ethiopian methods. First, cherry is floated and visually checked for underripes, overripes and damaged cherry. After washing cherry in clean water, workers transfer cherry straight to the drying field.  

They spread the cherries in a single layer. During the first few days, cherry is carefully turned every 30 minutes to ensure evening drying. This is also when workers remove any damaged cherry. After a few days, cherry is adjusted so that it sits in a slightly thicker layer, which helps slow the drying process. Drying typically takes between 2 and 3 weeks.