The Deri Kidame washing station is very young—it was founded only in 2019—and takes its name from the kebele (village) where it is located. The Guji region—especially the Wamena area—is our favorite. It is known for its fertile red-brown soils and diverse flora, which make the local coffee so distinctive it’s impossible to forget.

The station is owned by the large company Tracon Trading and processes about five tonnes of coffee per year from roughly two thousand local farmers across four nearby kebeles—Bulye, Wamena, Deri Kyowa, and Dgabaye. Because it is run by a major company, the processing expertise and attention to detail—despite the station’s young age—are truly impressive.

Processing is carried out with extraordinary care. Only ripe red cherries are selected and fermented in plastic bags with a valve, in anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) for about five days at cool temperatures. After fermentation, the cherries are removed from the bags and dried on African beds—first for 2–3 days in the shade, then for about 2–3 weeks in the sun until reaching the optimal moisture level.

The cherries are grown in exceptional conditions and processed with great professionalism and responsibility. This is the kind of coffee you want to share with everyone and talk about. Ultra-sweet, extra-intense, and super-tropical.