Lalesa Ephtah / Gedeo

Say hello to Lalesa Ephtah from Gedeo, a fruity, floral treat! This unique process from exporter Ephtah’s drying station in Gedeb woreda amplifies the peachy Lalesa profile with candy-like fruit gummy flavours.

Ephtah founder Wubit Bekele has created an export company known for centring women. Hiring prioritises women for leadership and management positions. Ephtah holds women-focused agricultural training, which can improve access to financial services, and provides day care centres for producers and employees. Finally, their AMA Commitment program provides a quality premium specifically for enrolled female producers.

Lalesa kebele (town), in Gedeb woreda (district) and Gedeo Zone (county), is known for its floral, stonefruit-like coffees–in fact, we’ll feature a classic washed lot from a different producer in Lalesa later this year. Ephtah’s drying station, however, specialises in atypical processes like honey and naturals with multiple-day fermentation. For this particular lot, whole cherries from farmers in Lalesa were fermented for five days in plastic barrels before two weeks of sun-drying. This fermentation stage amplifies the tasty peach and blueberry flavours. Delicious!