The Demeka site has produced some truly exceptional coffees over the years. We do not buy much coffee from Bona Zuria, but Demeka has consistently produced some compelling profiles. In the cup we find pineapple, Earl Grey tea, and jasmine.
Ethiopian Landrace
Bona Zuria, Sidama
2,200 masl
January 2026
Hand-picked at peak ripeness. Floated to further remove defects. De-pulped. Grade 1 density separated. Fermented underwater for 36 hours. Dried on raised beds for 10–14 days.
Demeka Becha is a washing station at the top of a hill near the village of Becha in Bona Zuria, Sidama, owned and managed by Ayele Tulu, his wife Genet Haile Endeshow, and their son Tsegab Ayele. The station purchases cherries from nearly 10,000 producers across the communities of Dilla Suke, Demeka, Goacho, Becha, and Bashiro Dale. Coffees from Sidama have consistently been among our highest-scoring selections in recent years, and we intend to shift our focus further toward this region going forward.
Ethiopia is widely acknowledged as where coffee originated, and its production continues to represent a significant part of the country’s economy. DNA testing has confirmed over 60 distinct varieties growing in Ethiopia, making it home to the most coffee biodiversity of any region in the world. Given the tradition of coffee production in Ethiopia and the political interworkings of the Ethiopian coffee trade, it is virtually impossible to get single variety coffee lots from Ethiopia. This is changing, albeit very slowly. Most Ethiopian coffees are blends of the many Ethiopian varieties, and referred to simply as 'Ethiopian Landrace'.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.