Lychees, raspberries, and black tea have more in common than you might think. In the Ethiopian Demeka Becha coffee from the SEY roastery, they come together in a single flavor profile. Exotic lychee complements the raspberry notes and the character of black tea. It is precisely this combination of fruit and tea notes that gives this coffee its interesting character: each of these components offers a slightly different reason to return to the cup and give it further attention.
The Demeka Becha processing station stands atop a hill near the village of Becha in the Bona Zuria region of Sidama. It is owned and operated by Ayele Tulu together with his wife, Genet Haile Endeshow, and their son, Tsegab Ayele. The station purchases cherries from nearly 10,000 farmers in surrounding communities. This lot comes from an elevation of 2, 200 meters. The “Ethiopian Landrace” designation refers to a blend of local Ethiopian varieties, not a single specific variety. It thus reflects the diversity of coffee trees for which Ethiopia is renowned.
Ripe cherries are hand-picked and then sorted in water to remove any remaining defective fruits. After the pulp is removed, the cherries are sorted by density and undergo a 36-hour dry fermentation. “Dry” here refers to fermentation without added water, not the natural drying of whole cherries. During this process, microorganisms help break down the mucilage surrounding the beans and influence the development of the flavor profile. The beans are then dried for 10–14 days on raised beds. These allow air to circulate from below as well, facilitating even drying. Careful sorting, fermentation, and drying are the individual steps that together determine the final quality of the coffee.
- Processing Station: Demeka Becha
- Elevation: 2,200 m above sea level
- Harvest: January 2026