It is unclear what makes Ethiopian coffee so stand out, unique and special. We can pay tribute to the terroir: the nutrient rich soils that vary in healthy shades of red and brown across the regions, the sharp variants in altitude and aspect along the mountain ranges, the dry climates. We could consider the genetic diversity of the flora that grows throughout the country, and the many hundreds of natural mutations that exist in the realm of coffee trees within Africa. Perhaps we consider the lack of chemical pesticides, the natural growth of wild trees and minimal pruning intervention. Maybe, what makes Ethiopian coffees so special is the cumulation of hundreds of small garden coffee lots that combine to create a blend of flavours, textures and acidities. A blend where the colour, or colours, of the cherries does not define its category, but rather, a blend that combines all the wonderful elements of ripe and ready cherries. Surely, this is why we find such beautiful complexity and elegance in the idyllic world of Ethiopian specialty coffee.

In the Area of Guji, where the local language is the second most widely used language across the country, we find the Oromo people who grow, care for, pick, transport by foot and collate wild mutations of coffee cherries to local washing stations. And from their hard work we discover the flavours of Guji.