YHTaFLIbpjwMprSlCNR8q, whole_beans

w0, whole_beans

With a floral aroma, notes of berry & pineapple, along with peach sweet tea, you'll be leaving the house wearing shorts.

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YHTaFLIbpjwMprSlCNR8q

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whole_beans

One of the most-visited cities in Ethiopia is Awassa (or Hawassa), the capital of the SSNPR Region and a well-kept town full of resorts, restaurants, and lakeside celebrations. There are even a few stoplights! On the shores of Lake Awassa (one of the Great Rift Valley lakes), the town has blossomed lately and is one of our personal favorites in the world. 

Sidama is much larger than Awassa, however, no matter how fun it is to watch hippos surface among the rushes. Driving a full day over increasingly rough roads to the town of Daye, through the well-known towns of Yirgalem and Aleta Wondo, you find yourself in a rugged and lovely countryside surrounded and sometimes chased by the smiling faces of the Sidama people. 

Historically, they had many unique cultural attributes including a voluntary farm-sharing program and a butter-sharing program (the only legal item women could own was butter, so they would trade, share, and compound butter to aid women in need). Subjugation by the Abyssinian rule of Menelik II in 1898 was succeeded by the Communist regime in the early 1980's, and then eventually overthrown for the current leadership. Now, they continue to advocate for their rights as a unique culture to be observed (Note: calling the people group "Sidamo" is a derogatory practice begun by the invading troops of Menelik, hence our use of the term "Sidama") 

As in many other areas of Ethiopia, subsistence farming is a way of life for the Sidama people, and in fact, their beautiful farms are notable for having more division between them (handmade fences of bamboo screens and other materials) and more evidence of year-round cultivation. Enset, or false banana (called "Weese" in Sidama) is the main food crop and is used in many applications, from water storage in case of drought, to feeding animals, to serving as mats to support food preparation. Other products grown in Sidama include wheat, oats, sugar cane, potatoes, and other vegetables. Every household plants food crops with trees, to the benefit of both--that is, until eucalyptus began to be planted in the area and spread its poisonous influence. The short-term economic potential of the eucalyptus threatens the long-term forestation and ecology of the area. 

Livestock is also a significant mover in the economy, though that began to shift with a massive population explosion limiting pasture land and the "tse-tse" fly epidemic of the early 20th century. Goats and oxen are still seen everywhere, dotting the rolling hills and lazily being herded across the roads which, though paved in places, still have a haphazard air as if nobody really knows why they exist. 

The Sidama people comprise roughly 20% of the overall population of Ethiopia and thus have many administrative needs which continue to be addressed. Coffee as a primary economic driver remains life-and-death important to the Sidama people, and to those of us who love the area and wish to continue supporting it, and them.

Mai Lin Mac

not good 

Taylor Moore

Unreal. 

James Plowman

Seriously the best coffee ever!!!

We believe that no amount of roasting expertise or beverage mixology can take the place of the kind of green coffee that’s the result of intentionality at the farm level. Coffees that are grown and harvested to maintain quality and consistency from cherry ripeness to density then processed to continue that quality create a coffee that is clean, flavorful and interesting from cup to cup. Our commitment to seeking out quality green coffee ranges from trips to origin were Jon, part owner, and green buyer, cups hundreds of coffees in search of the one or two that fits what we are looking for. We roast and cup dozens of coffee samples a week - narrowing them down to coffees that taste great as an espresso, pallets of lots designed to make up our Southern Weather house blend, and single bags of coffee we vac-pac and sell in small releases.

Onyx Coffee Lab

Ivana Chan

Started in 2012 by Jon and Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab strives to find the best possible coffees and roast them to their full potential. In 2022 we won the US Roasters Competition and the US Brewer's Cup Competition, going on to place 2nd in both categories in the World Coffee Championships.

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Tropical Weather

Altitude, meters

Country

Region

Processes

Variety

Notes from the curator

More about Onyx Coffee Lab

31 Customer Reviews

Similar Coffee

Altitude,
meters