Ethiopia Worka [Espresso] 250g
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Ethiopia Worka [Espresso] 250g
domestic: CHF 7 up to 2kg, free for 5+ coffee bags
international: CHF 18/22 (Europe/worldwide) for up to 6 coffee bags
The Gedeo people, who live in parts of this region in the south of Ethiopia, have long been linked to coffee production in Yirgacheffe. Coffee has been growing there since the beginning of time. The Worka Cooperative, despite its relatively young age, already gained a lot of respect and attention among coffee roasters and consumers. The cooperative was founded in 2006 after the foundation of the Gedeb District, which was split off Kochere by the government. After that, the Worka washing station was built.
The cooperative has been part of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) since 2010. The YCFCU acts as a trader for its member cooperatives and takes care of sales and marketing. It further invests in building projects in the community, for example for a school or bridges to link isolated areas, and organizes workshops and meetings for its members. All cooperatives that are part of the YCFCU are located in the Gedeo Zone in southern Ethiopia.
In the past, we have bought various coffees from the YCFCU, all of which were of great quality. We stuck with the two favorites: Worka, roasted for espresso, and Bule Adado, which we roast for filter brewing.
These coffees of the native varieties Kudhume, Wolisho and Dega are grown and processed according to Fairtrade and organic standards. The coffee is sorted by hand and then sun-dried. The drying process can take up to 30 days. To protect it from rain and too much heat, the coffee is covered overnight as well as during the hottest hours of the day. Once it is dried sufficiently, YCFCU's own trucks take the coffee to Addis Ababa, where it goes through various quality checks before it's exported and then reaches Europe by way of Djibouti.
This current harvest is absolutely recognizable: The coffee tastes like a high-quality Yirgacheffe natural. We are very pleased by the quality and it might just be the highest quality of this coffee we have purchased so far. Marzipan on the nose, which transforms to amaretto in the mouth. Ripe berries, especially blueberry, harmoniously combined with floral notes, cherry and other stone fruit, such as apricot or peach, as well as subtle citrus notes. The coffee is fruity, sweet, with a complex elegance and a unique aroma, typical for naturals from this region. We can consider ourselves fortunate to be able to buy this coffee again each year.
Brewing Recommendation
Brew ratio: 1:2.3
Coffee: 20g in / 46g out
Extraction time: 26s
This coffee works great for filter brewing, too.