Dara Sidama FW Gr. 2

This Fully washed lot is cultivated by smallholders delivering cherry to Lulo Coffee Export’s partner washing station in Dara, Sidamo. Their farms are typically small, less than 5 hectares on average and sit at or above 1,500 meters above sea level.  

The Sidamo region of Southern Ethiopia holds the distinction as one of the three trademarked coffee regions of Ethiopia. Alongside Harrar and Yirgacheffe, Sidamo holds a Designation of Origin for coffee grown in the region. That's unsurprising when you consider the high altitudes of 1,550 to 2,200 meters above sea level, plentiful rainfall and fertile soil that makes the coffee grown in this region so remarkable.  

The Sidamo region is named after the indigenous ethnic group, the Sidama, who call the region their home. On Sidamo’s Eastern border lies the large regions of Arsi and Bale while to the West, Sidamo is bordered by Gamogofa.

Sidamo lies in the path of the Great Rift Valley and thanks to this, the countryside of Sidamo is lush and green. There are several freshwater lakes that provide drinking and agricultural water and account for the densely populated nature of this region. 

Many would say that the strength of Sidamo coffees lie in the regions’ diversity of profiles. The many microclimates and varying soil types lead to striking differences from town to town. But across all Sidamo coffees is a profound complexity that many attribute to the diversity of local landrace varieties. Varieties can differ from town to town and even farm to farm where each farmer may have more than one unique variety that’s seldom or never found outside their plot.  

When all these different varieties are blended at the local cooperative, the resulting blend expresses the complexity of the plant genetics in the area.  

Farming methods in Sidamo remain largely traditional. Sidamo farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.  

In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also traditional and organic-by-default. Farmers in Sidamo typically use very few — if any — fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually and very few tasks are mechanized, even during processing. 

Smallholders selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to the washing station. At intake, cherry is visually inspected and then pulped on the station’s disc pulper. Coffee is fermented in water for approximately 24 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and laid on raised drying beds to sundry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 12 days for parchment to dry. Workers sort through drying parchment to remove any damaged beans. They cover parchment during the hottest hours of the day and overnight.  

In the Ethiopian grading system, grade 2 refers to the cup quality as well as physical quality of a coffee. A grade 2 allows between four and 13 full defects per 300gr green sample. The cup typically has fruity and clean characteristics without any off-flavors.  

Ethiopia Sidamo 2 is a classic in every coffee range and is especially popular in blends. The cup quality can be very surprising for prices well below the grade 1 price point. For us, grade 2 coffee typically sits around an 83-84 cup score.