Boji Kochere

More About
Boji Kochere

Boji is a washing station located in the Kochere woreda of the SNNPR region. It services 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.

Harvest & post-harvest

Washed processing at the station follows the traditional Ethiopian methods. After an initial screening where the cherry is floated and visually checked for underripe, overripe and damaged cherry, the cherry is pulped and fermented. The coffee cherry is fermented in water for 36 to 72 hours. During this time,  the water is changed 3 times.

After fermentation, parchment is sent through a grading channel that simultaneously washes the parchment, removing any remaining mucilage and separates them by density. Once clean, the highest parchment grade is soaked for an additional 8 to 12 hours.

Subsequently, the wet parchment is transferred to a drying field. That first day, the parchment rests on the pre-drying tables where excess water can easily drain off and employees continuously inspect the wet parchment for uniformity, as it’s much easier to detect and remove defects in wet parchment than after it has been dried. After one day on the pre-drying tables, the wet parchment is transferred to raised beds where it will dry for up to 12 days. Staff regularly turn the parchment to ensure even drying. Once dried, the coffees rest in a cooperative warehouse.

Coffee in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is well recognized as coffee’s birthplace and today it has established itself as one of the highest quality coffee origins in the Specialty Coffee industry.

While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. We’re partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top-quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike.

The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to their abundance of varieties, their method of processing. which is a result of many generations of experimentation and optimization, greatly contributes to the eventual quality.

Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Additionally, the coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.