Guji · Ethiopia

Family members of the small farms harvest the coffee cherries, which are then sorted by hand to remove any unripe or overripe fruit. These cherries are then taken to the Washing Station for further processing. To make Naturals, the coffee cherries are dried in layers of around 3-4 cm in the beginning, slowly increasing to 6-10 cm. Their degree of fermentation depends on the thickness and stratification, as well as the temperature. Because of the high altitude, fermentation occurs slowly due to the low temperatures. During the drying process, the coffee cherries are carefully rearranged and covered during the hottest hours of the day and during the night to keep them from being exposed to intense sunlight and moisture. This helps to maintain quality and ensures the coffee dries evenly. The entire process can take up to 20 days at these altitudes.