Kokie washing station sits on the outskirts of Yirgacheffe, in Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone. Its ten fermentation tanks are used to process coffee cherries delivered by smallholder farmers from the surrounding area. Yirgacheffe is renowned for its exceptional growing conditions and for producing coffees with the distinctive character most closely associated with Ethiopia. Its influence on the country’s coffee industry dates back to the 1970s, when Ethiopia’s first washing station was established in the area.

Coffee here is generally cultivated on small garden plots beside farmers’ homes. The trees grow among food crops such as enset, a calorie-rich staple that plays an important role in local diets despite containing relatively few vitamins and minerals. This garden-based approach reflects the largely rural nature of the region, where only around 7.74% of the population lives in an urban setting.

Three locally recognised coffee varieties are commonly found across the Gedeo Zone: Wolisho, Dega and Kudhume. Most producers cultivate at least two of them, although their origins and genetic relationships remain poorly documented. It is not yet clear whether they are distinct varieties or members of broader coffee families. The same names, sometimes with slightly different spellings, are also used in neighbouring growing regions.

Kudhume, alternatively written as Kudhumi or Kurume, produces relatively small beans and is valued for its resistance to disease. It is also widely grown in Guji. Dega falls between the three in terms of bean size and tree height, while Wolisho, also known as Walichu, typically produces the largest beans.

The names are thought to derive from indigenous trees whose characteristics resemble those of the coffee plants. The Kurume tree bears small fruit and produces dependable yields, qualities also associated with Kudhume coffee. Wolisho is similarly named after a tree with larger fruit, although its yield can vary considerably from one year to the next. Dega is associated with a fragrant local tree commonly used for firewood, though the name may instead originate from an Amharic term describing the altitude and cooler climate of the terrain where it grows.