History & Origins
Gedeb washing stations operate within the Gedeb district of Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone, with sixteen kebeles (villages) making up the district, located on the eastern edge of the famous Gedeo plateau whose coffees are widely traded under the Yirgacheffe name. The district represents a fascinating intersection of tradition and modern coffee commerce, where multiple washing stations have emerged to serve the region’s extensive network of smallholder farmers.
Among the most prominent operations is the Worka Sakaro washing station, established in 2011 by Mijane Woresa after spending decades growing corn and saving money to fulfill his dream of becoming a coffee exporter.
When Mijane first arrived in Gedeb with his father over 50 years ago, most of the area was thick untouched forest, but over the years coffee farming took hold and Gedeb coffee gained international recognition.
In 2017, after 30 years in coffee, Woresa secured an export license and brought his son Daniel Mijane into the business, who now manages daily operations across the family’s washing stations and oversees export logistics.
The 2017 relaxation of Ethiopian export regulations allowed private washing stations to export directly to buyers, marking a transformative shift from the previous system where most coffee was sold through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange. This change enabled washing stations throughout Gedeb to develop direct relationships with international buyers, fundamentally altering the region’s coffee landscape and improving traceability.
Terroir & Growing Conditions
The Gedeb district occupies a unique geographical position as a remote trade outpost that links commerce between the Gedeo and Guji zones, creating a distinct terroir that differs from central Yirgacheffe.
Coffee producing communities throughout Gedeb reach some of the highest growing elevations for coffee in the world, with farms extending beyond 2,100 meters above sea level.
The name “Wuri” itself means “high altitude” in the Gedio language, reflecting the area’s extreme elevation.
The climate conditions in Gedeb feature average temperatures between 15.5°C and 17.8°C with annual rainfall averaging 1,404mm per year, while the region’s red/brown fertile soil supports coffee cultivation alongside shade trees of Cordia Africana, Acacia, and Ensete.
Gedeb’s cooler, stable climate creates ideal conditions for clean washed coffees with floral and citrus profiles, with the terroir paired with meticulous washing station practices producing tea-like, citrusy characteristics.
The washing stations work with hundreds of contributing farmers whose individual farms typically range from 1-10 hectares.
Most farmers in the region operate on fewer than 5 hectares and employ traditional cultivation methods, growing coffee as part of integrated ‘coffee gardens’ intercropped with other food crops, typically without chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Processing & Production
The processing operations at Gedeb washing stations involve sophisticated quality control measures, with harvest deliveries consolidated at collection points and arriving at stations around 6:00 p.m. for final quality inspection, followed by careful drying procedures that include covering beans between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to avoid parchment cracking under intense sun.
The precise sorting and drying processes feature washed coffees drying in 12-15 days and naturals drying in 18-21 days, with natural lots covered during the heat of the day and turned constantly on beds during daylight hours.
For washed processing, coffee cherries are floated to remove lower density beans before being de-pulped and sorted by density, then subjected to 36 hours of underwater fermentation before thorough rinsing and spreading on raised beds to dry for 10-14 days.
After depulping, coffee typically ferments for 48 hours, is rinsed, then skin-dried in shade until no longer wet to the touch before moving to full-time sun drying beds for one week with continuous rotation.
Natural processing involves hand-sorting of ripe cherry deliveries from contributing producers, with the best cherries taken to raised beds where they dry in the sun for up to 21 days.
Some stations employ extended natural processing with coffees dried in shade and sorted continuously for defects throughout the process, taking approximately 18 days to reach 11.2% moisture content, followed by four weeks of rest before hulling.
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Gedeb washing stations produce coffees with distinctly different profiles based on processing method - a medley of ripe dark berries and cherries combine with guava, ginger and grapefruit in naturals, while washed coffees highlight rose, jasmine and honeydew, with naturals resonating with deep, jammy blackberry and dark plum.
Worka Sakaro coffees specifically are dense and tart with tropical fruit and tea-like complexity when fully washed, and seductively sweet and perfumed when sundried.
Washed coffees from the region display gentle acidity and subtle sweetness with excellent balance and short, refreshing finishes, featuring notes of lemonade, plum, lavender and jasmine.
Premium washed lots showcase clean layers of black tea, jasmine, and blood orange with delicate acidity, vibrant clarity, and silky texture.
The district’s cup profiles are often the most explosive found anywhere in Ethiopia, with naturals featuring perfume-like volatiles and washed lots displaying sparklingly clean, fruit candy-like structure.
Natural processed coffees present bright blueberry and citrus acidity with smooth chocolate finishes that are clean and expressive, featuring concentrated berry jam and floral notes balanced by silky chocolate and syrupy body.
Premium natural lots showcase dried rose aromas alongside fresh blackberry and tropical flowers, demonstrating elegant processing that allows terroir and varietal flavors to show through in layers. The combination of extreme altitude, optimal climate conditions, and meticulous processing creates coffees that exemplify the finest characteristics of Ethiopian specialty coffee.