Yirgacheffe zone officially called Gedeo is a zone within the state of Southern Nations and Nationalities People’s Region. Coffee is sold under the name Yirgacheffe- which is a woreda (district) within the Gedeo Zone.
The road to Yirgacheffe passes through Awassa, Yirga Alem, and Dilla places well-known to green coffee buyers who seek high-quality coffee.
Yirgacheffe is home to the most elusive and complex profiles Ethiopia has to offer. This is the reason why this small zone has carved a profile for itself so well within the global coffee market.
Yirgacheffe coffee is much sought after for its bright point citric acidity. It’s well-bodied, balanced cup of mocha combined with flowery, spicy elements and an array of fruity flavours gives it a layered and complex wheel of taste. Yirgacheffe is renowned for its washed coffees but is gaining reputation with fruity balanced naturals, as well.
Yirgacheffe coffee is chiefly grown by small land holders who own around .25 to 2 hectares of land. Hence the name garden production system. The small holder grows his crop under the shade of false banana and other nitrogen crops. The co-operatives, washing, and drying stations are the assembly points where all the cherries are collected for processing.
