GUJI MASINA, Ethiopia (Carbonic Maceration Washed) Specialty Coffee

Guji Car Wash Station

Built in 2017 as a joint project with Primrose, the Guji Masina washing station was the site of Project Origin’s first carbon-processed coffee production in Ethiopia. The carbon-processed coffee here was light, slightly refined, and the coffee from this station won the 2018 World Barista Championship. Project Origin and Primrose also collaborated to fund the construction of a bridge over the nearby river to provide access between the town and the nearby school and the washing station, saving the local community a 1-2 hour drive to the next river crossing.

Arabica variety: Heirloom

What is the meaning of "heirloom"?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "heirloom" means a valuable item that has been in a family for several generations. In the coffee industry, it is widely used to describe ancient varieties of the Coffea Arabica plant from Ethiopia.

In the Ethiopian context, "heirloom" frequently refers to coffee varieties that are indigenous to the country, many of which still exist in the wild. Ethiopia boasts an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 heirloom coffee varieties, most of which are yet to undergo formal genetic identification.

These heirloom coffee varieties are generally classified into two groups: JARC varieties and regional breeds. JARC varieties are those that have been developed and researched by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center, usually selected for desirable traits such as disease resistance or increased yield. On the other hand, regional landraces consist of coffee trees that grow naturally in the wild.