Qunqana Washing Station is located in the Bensa region of Sidama, Ethiopia, and sources coffee cherries from smallholder farmers throughout the surrounding area. This is our first time offering a honey-processed coffee from Ethiopia. While honey processing is common in many Central American countries, it’s still relatively uncommon in Ethiopia, making this lot a fun and unique find.

Honey processing removes only the outer skin of the coffee cherry before drying, leaving the sticky fruit layer, or mucilage, intact. This falls somewhere between a natural process, in which the entire cherry is dried around the seed, and a traditional washed process, in which all the fruit is removed before drying. The result is a coffee with added sweetness, body, and fruit character, but without some of the heavier "funky" notes that naturals can sometimes develop.

Qunqana is operated by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo under their company, Daye Bensa Coffee. In addition to managing their own farm, Daye Bensa Farm, they operate 16 washing stations and 4 dry mills throughout the Bensa, Aroressa, and Chire districts of Sidama. Their commitment to quality has helped establish Daye Bensa as one of the most respected coffee producers in the region.