Coffee from the natural forests of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is the home of coffee, the birthplace of coffee. One of the few countries in the world where coffee grows simply, in forests and grasslands. The birthplace of coffee is also reflected in its very name; coffee - derived from the name of a region in southwestern Ethiopia - Kaffa. More than a thousand varieties of coffee plants grow in Ethiopia in natural settings where jungle provides shade for the coffee bushes and biological diversity eliminates the need for human intervention in the growing process. Here, the term organic coffee is natural and taken for granted.

At the end of the 19th century, nearly 30% of Ethiopia was covered by forest. Today, forest covers just over 4% of the country. The Bench Maji area is one of those primeval forests - hence the name "Forest". Ethiopia Bench Maji Forest coffee is harvested by farmers from coffee trees growing wild in the forest. Bench Maji Forest, is not subjected to any significant human intervention other than harvesting the coffee. The coffee from the Bench Maji forest is harvested by the Coffee, Spice and Honey Farmers Cooperative Association, Bench Maji, formed in 2005, comprising nearly 500 smallholder farmers. The Bench Maji Forest covers an area of nearly 19,500 square kilometers (compared to the area of the Białowieża Primeval Forest of 3,082 square kilometers). The area from which the coffee is harvested is located at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,500 meters above sea level. In the Bench Maji forest, natural varieties of Arabica (Heirloom) are harvested. After harvesting, the top part of the cherry is removed from the coffee using the washed method.

In the Ethiopia Bench Maji Forest Coffee from Sochaccy.co store, notes of dark cherry with light acidity, fruit, and flowers are perceptible. The taste is full of nuance and refreshment, toned down at the end by caramel and chocolate.