Ayla is one of 20 washing stations owned and run by Testi Coffee, a family business founded by Faysel Yonis that aims to support and grow with the farming communities that produce their coffee. With this in mind, Testi established their Project Direct program, which focuses on directly supporting coffee-farming families in tangible and positive ways. Through Project Direct, Testi has now built two primary schools and helped communities located near their more remote washing stations access clean water and electricity.
Around 700 producers deliver their freshly picked coffee cherries to the Ayla washing station at harvest time. The majority of these producers farm organically on small plots of land (around 2–5 hectares in size). These farms sit at an average elevation of 1950–2150 metres above sea level. The high altitude, combined with the area’s cool temperatures, causes the coffee cherries to ripen slowly, ultimately leading to denser beans and a sweet and complex cup profile.
ABOUT THE SIDAMO COFFEE REGION
Historically, Sidamo refers to a wide geographical region encompassing much of central-south Ethiopia, that is well known for producing exceptional natural and washed coffees. The region is located in Ethiopia’s South East Coffee Zone, and includes renowned coffee-producing localities such as Yirgacheffe, Kochere, West Arsi, Bensa and Guji. Sidamo extends across the states of Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR), two of eleven ethnically-based regional states of Ethiopia. After a 2019 Referendum, some of the territories that fall under the the Sidamo coffee region have separated from the SNNPR and become the autonomous Sidamo regional state.
Coffees that are grown and processed in Sidamo showcase an extremely diverse range of flavour profiles, and are noted for their intensely fruit-forward, tea-like, floral and complex character that is sought after worldwide. It is widely accepted that the coffee species, Arabica, originated in the lush forests of southern forests of Ethiopia and hence growing conditions in this area are perfectly suited for producing exquisite coffees.
ABOUT TESTI COFFEE
Testi Trading PLC is a family-owned company embedded at the origin to supply the specialty coffee industry with high-quality coffee beans. Mr. Faysel together with his family established Testi Trading PLC in 2009. The name ‘Testi’ means joy or Happiness in the Harrari language (it is also the name of Faysel’s middle son).
Testi coffee is focusing on quality and long-term relationships, as well as maximizing the potential of Ethiopian Coffee. Their focus is to work with their supply chain of smallholder farms to improve their livelihoods and living conditions. Testi coffee independently own 3 farms and twenty washing stations in all specialty coffee growing regions.
PROCESSING DETAILS - WASHED
Soaking
First thing, 80% well ripe and 20% semi ripe cherries selected. The
cherries immersed in water tank to remove the floaters. Right after
the floaters removed, cherries were de-pulped and fermented for
96 hours.
Drying
Once fermentation completed, we brought out the parchments and
laid on raised African beds under a parabolic shade net for 15 days.
Improved process
This coffee is part of our improved process project. In this process
we introduced 96 hours (4 days) fermentation period. Every 24 hours
we changed the old water with fresh cold water. Throughout the 4
days the fermentation was very slow at ambient temperature of 18.5-
20.5 degree centigrade.
