Ethiopia Lekempti 4 Natural

This is a smallholder-grown coffee processed centrally by Tadi Coffee, an independent specialty exporter operating in West Wellega, a large and remote part of Ethiopia far west of Addis Ababa.   

Generally considered part of Ethiopia’s “western” coffee area, Lekempti coffee comes from a few very large zones within the eastern Oromia region. Along with Harar, Lekempti coffee is some of Ethiopia’s northernmost grown.   

Lakempti Coffee  

Like much of coffee-growing Ethiopia, the zones that make up the Lekempti area are broad, sloping plateaus of indescribable fertility and drastically high elevations.   

Lekempti coffee has a vast production region, and by comparison makes the Yirgacheffe zone look incredibly tiny.  The zones that make up Lekempti’s area are East and West Welega, as well a Kellem Welega, which borders South Sudan.  This is very far west for Ethiopia and the northernmost region for coffee in this area, followed by better-known Jimma (Limu), Kaffa, and Bench Maji to the south.   

Tadi Coffee and processing  

Tadi Coffee specializes in Lekempti coffee, with 40% of their exports coming from this area. This coffee was processed in the Gidami district of Kellem Welega, and grown by local smallholders.  

Tadi’s processing station in Gidami produces only natural coffees.  Cherry is delivered daily to the station by the farmers themselves, mostly by way of donkey or horse. After delivery, usually in the evening, cherry is weighed and immediately moved to start drying on raised screen beds.  Every few hours the cherries are raked to ensure even dehydration.  Total drying time is typically 10-15 days, after which the dried cherry pods are stored in an onsite warehouse to stabilize for 1-2 weeks. Once conditioning is complete, dried cherry is then husked locally and transported to Tadi’s dry mill in Addis Ababa for full milling and preparation for export.