Bookkisa

Serto 74112 from the Bookkisa washing station

Bookkisa is the name of the sub-kebele from which this fantastic Ethiopia Grade 1 coffee comes. A kebele is the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia, similar to a village. Bookkisa is located near the town of Shakisso, south of the capital, Addis Ababa, in the Guji region. The Guji region is famous for the excellent coffee it produces thanks to the richness of its soil, climate, and altitude. This coffee has been cultivated at an altitude of 2,173 meters by small producers. The process chosen was a natural one, meaning the seed has been dried with the cherry before being pulped.

A specialty coffee from small producers

This coffee has been cultivated by small producers in the Bookkisa sub-kebele, hence its name. These coffee farmers have small farms, generally less than 2.5 hectares, and are grouped together in cooperatives. The coffee plants grow under the shade of native forests, which enriches the soil and allows for slower ripening. This is another characteristic that makes the Guji region ideal for growing specialty coffee. Small producers in this area regularly participate in development sessions led by agronomist Ture Waji, a leading expert on specialty coffee cultivation in the Guji region. The coffee farmers' expertise, combined with Ture Wuji's ongoing development and supervision, means that the coffees from this region improve almost every year.

Specialty coffee is a seasonal product

Specialty coffee is a seasonal product, and therefore, each season is different. This is very important since coffee is like any other fruit before it is processed and pulped. The quality and quantity of cherries produced by each coffee plant will depend on many factors and will vary each season. The important thing is for coffee growers to be aware of this and know what care the plant requires depending on the climate, altitude, rainfall, etc. Cherries must always be picked at their peak ripeness, taking all of the above factors into account. Only then will we obtain a coffee that reflects both the qualities of the soil and climate, as well as the expertise of the coffee growers.

Being a seasonal product, it also has an optimal consumption period. Once roasted and processed, coffee can be consumed for quite some time without harming your health (although it may harm your flavor). However, we will only enjoy its best qualities if we consume it fresh and freshly roasted (this is due to an oxidation process that you can read more about here). Our mission at Ineffable Coffee is to find the best fresh, seasonal coffees and make them available to you. We are confident that this Bookkisa will live up to these expectations.

Naturally processed

During harvesting and processing, each specialty micro-lot is separated by its harvest date. This micro-lot was produced using a natural process. The cherries are picked and sorted by hand. This allows for the elimination of underripe or overripe cherries for a specialty lot (these cherries are used in lower-quality lots). Once harvested, the cherries are placed on raised beds to dry without pulping. The first drying phase is very important in determining the coffee's quality. The cherries are spread in relatively thin layers to avoid creating overly fermented aromas. They are continuously turned until they reach a moisture content similar to that of raisins (around 25%) after a few days.

In the second phase, residual moisture is reduced from 25% to 12%. The cherries are arranged in thicker layers, rotated continuously during the day, and covered at night. Once the desired moisture level is reached, the dried pulp is removed mechanically. Finally, the pulped seeds are hand-selected once more to identify any defects and separated by grade. The final step is to store them in Grain Pro bags and jute sacks to protect them from moisture during transport and prevent any contamination.