Danche - Yirgacheffe - Ethiopia - Honey

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe - Danche - Honey - Grade 1

Lingonberry jam - Orange - Honey

This coffee comes from Worka Chelbesa kebele, located in the Gedeb woreda of southern Ethiopia. It is produced by smallholder farmers and processed at a wet mill operated by Negusse Debela, founder of SNAP Specialty Coffee. Negusse oversees two washing stations in Worka Chelbesa, including the Danche site, where washed, natural, and experimental lots are produced with a strong focus on quality development.

Worka Chelbesa lies in the southernmost part of the Gedeo zone and is characterised by a semi-forest environment with dense vegetation. Ensete trees and other native shade plants create favourable conditions for shade-grown coffee. The Danche washing station, located in the Worka hills, sources cherries from approximately 600 to 800 nearby farmers. These producers typically manage small plots ranging from 0.5 to 2 hectares at elevations between 1925 and 2300 masl. The proximity of the station allows farmers to deliver cherries within 40 minutes, helping to preserve quality at intake.

SNAP Specialty Coffee was founded in 2008 in Addis Ababa and currently operates three washing stations in the Gedeo zone, while also collaborating with additional sites in Guji and West Arsi. Our partnership with SNAP began in 2022. This coffee reflects the collective work of the smallholder farmers, washing station teams, and exporters involved in its production.

As Ethiopia’s coffee sector continues to evolve, historical growing regions do not always align precisely with modern administrative boundaries. We aim to provide the most accurate and transparent origin information available, highlighting specific locations whenever possible to better represent the coffees we offer.

The Process Unveiled

1. Harvesting:
Selective handpicking is carried out by smallholder farmers in Worka Chelbesa, Yirgacheffe, targeting only fully ripe Ethiopian heirloom cherries grown under semi-forest shade at elevations between 1925 and 2300 masl.

2. Intake Sorting:
Cherries are delivered to the Danche washing station operated by Negusse Debela of SNAP Specialty Coffee, where careful hand-sorting removes underripe, overripe, and visually defective fruit, ensuring quality at intake.

3. Density Separation:
Cherries undergo flotation to eliminate low-density and damaged fruit, improving overall lot consistency before pulping.

4. Depulping & Mucilage Retention (Honey Style):
Cherries are mechanically depulped, with a controlled layer of mucilage intentionally left on the parchment. No full washing is performed, preserving fruit sugars and pectins that enhance sweetness, body, and aromatic complexity.

5. Controlled Drying (Raised Beds):
Parchment coffee is transferred to raised drying beds under the shaded, semi-forest conditions typical of the Gedeo Zone, where it is spread in thin, even layers to ensure consistent airflow and moderated solar exposure.

6. Drying Management:
Coffee is turned regularly and monitored closely to promote uniform moisture reduction while preventing over-fermentation, mould development, or uneven drying.

7. Drying Duration & Final Stabilisation:
 Drying progresses slowly over an extended period until the coffee reaches a final moisture content of 9.5–11%, supporting physical stability, clarity in the cup, and structured sweetness derived from retained fruit material.