Aricha

Aricha is located in the Gedeo zone, near the town of Yirgacheffe. Farmers selectively handpick the coffee and deliver their cherries to the nearest washing station. The coffee cherries arriving at the station are first sorted by hand, then placed into special plastic bags. Oxygen is then vacuumed out of the bags, creating an anaerobic environment. After around 18-24 hours into the fermentation process, CO2 will start to build up pressure in the bags. Over the 3 days of fermentation, the red cherry colour changes to yellow. Once carefully removed from the bags, the coffee is dried on African drying beds without shade for 15 to 18 days. Later, the beans are transported to Addis Ababa, where final hulling, sorting, and export preparation take place.