Landrace
Natural
Banko Chelchele

Tastes Like: Watermelon, Yellow Peach, Floral

Origin: Banko Chelchele, Gedeb, Gedeo, Ethiopia

Variety: 74112, 74110 (Ethiopian Landrace)

Producer: Smallholder farmers in Banko Chelchele

Elevation: 1,900–2,300 masl

Process:  Natural

About the Cup

Watermelon and yellow peach give this coffee a fresh, fruit-forward profile, accompanied by floral aromatics. Produced by smallholders in Banko Chelchele, this lot combines Ethiopian varieties 74112 and 74110 with traditional whole-cherry natural processing.

About Banko Chelchele

Banko Chelchele is a village in Gedeb, within Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone. The contributing smallholder farmers cultivate coffee at elevations of 1,900–2,300 meters, in fertile, well-drained red clay soils. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,200 to 1,599 millimeters, with harvesting taking place from October through December.

Coffee farming is a central source of income for local households, with cultivation and harvesting knowledge passed between generations. During harvest, farmers handpick ripe cherries and sort them to remove debris and unsuitable fruit before drying.

Variety

74112 is an Ethiopian Arabica selection developed through the Jimma Agricultural Research Center’s work on coffee berry disease resistance and productive varieties. Originating from the Metu-Bishari area, it has a compact growth habit and demonstrated potential for good cup quality.

74110 comes from the same selection program and was also selected for disease resistance and yield potential. Its compact trees produce relatively small leaves, cherries, and seeds. Both varieties illustrate the role of selected Ethiopian coffee populations in cultivation today; their expression in the cup also depends on growing conditions, processing, and roasting.

Processing

Ripe cherries are handpicked, sorted, and dried whole in the sun, with the skin and fruit surrounding the seeds throughout drying. Regular turning helps the cherries dry evenly. After drying and a resting period, the coffee is dry-milled to remove the dried fruit and parchment, revealing the green beans.

Natural processing can encourage pronounced fruit expression. Careful cherry selection and drying help manage fermentation and preserve the coffee’s quality.