Qabballe Natural - Ethiopia

The Qabballe Natural is produced at the Raro Nensebo Drying Station in Uraga, Guji, which falls under the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. This area is oftentimes mistakenly known as Sidamo Guji, but instead should be known only as Guji Zone or East-Guji on its own

The Qabballe Natural is produced by around 15 farmers who deliver cherry to the Raro Nensebo Drying Station. These farmers come from the village known as Raro Majoo and have between 2.5 and 3 hectares of land. Their farms sit at an elevation of 2225 masl in average. The lot is primarily comprised of the 74110 and 74112 varieties, which are local varieties selected for their production and disease resistance. The word Qabballe means “cold” in Amharic and was given that name due to the cold climate from these high elevation farms that contributed cherry.

Raro Nansebo Drying Station

The Qabballe Natural is produced by Sookoo Coffee, run by Ture Waji, also known as “The King of Guji”. The strict drying protocols followed by Sookoo Coffee, including a maximum layer density of 4cm and moving the cherries around on the beds 6 times per day, reduce the risk of over-fermentation during drying, as well as the potential for defects. The standard drying time for their coffee is between 21-28 days, ensuring optimal flavor development. Ture Waji, founder of Sookoo Coffee, has strong connections to the land and community in the Guji region of Ethiopia. He started his own brand in 2018, building drying stations in Uraga and Shakiso. Sookoo Coffee currently produces only natural coffees, but has plans for washed coffees in the future. They educate farmers on good agricultural practices and provide pre-harvest loans. Sookoo Coffee has a ‘woman-first’ policy at washing stations, built a school for children, and improved local infrastructure.

We first met Ture Waji on our very first trip to Ethiopia, and we were immediately impressed by his company’s values and mission to produce high-quality, traceable, and sustainable coffee. We had the opportunity to taste his coffees for the first time on the last day of our trip and were blown away by their deliciousness. We have now worked with Ture for three years, and we are thrilled for upcoming harvests. We believe in the exciting projects he has in the works, including producing washed coffees at his current washing stations, venturing into new regions within Guji, and separating out single farmer lots.

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Qabballe Natural - Ethiopia