Gichuka AB Washed, Kenya | ESPRESSO

Highlights

“With nearly 700,000 coffee producers, roughly 70% of which are smallholders, Kenya shines as a unique coffee-producing country in East Africa. Within Kiambu County is the Gichuka Coffee Factory, belonging to the Kimaratia Farmers' Cooperative Society (FCS). The Gichuka Factory was initiated in 1985, the youngest of three managed by the FCS. Situated at roughly 1,800 meters above sea level, the region is defined by its bright red soils, rich in nutrients for coffee trees. After delivery, the cherries are pulped to remove the external fruit, then soaked in cement tanks overnight to break down the remaining mucilage. The coffee is cleaned through channels of water and dispersed on raised beds to dry in the open sun until the ideal moisture content is reached.”