The return of a favorite: Banko Chelchele is back with a new crop that’s slightly deeper in body, still unmistakably bright, and just as delicious.
Coffees from the Gedeb region of Ethiopia have been gaining a lot of attention for their quality and flavor notes as of late, thanks in large part to the work of SNAP Coffee Producers. In Ethiopia, smallholder farmers often grow cherries in their own fields, then bring their harvests to their community washing station. For this reason, the equipment, skill and attention to detail of the washing stations are very important in determining the quality of the cup.
SNAP has worked to improve local coffee washing stations through their meticulous attention to detail. They've been operating the Danche Chelbesa washing station since 2019 — two years after beginning operations at the Worka Chelbesa community washing station nearby.
SNAP is a family-owned business. It was founded in 2008 by Negusse Debela, who first made a name for himself as one of the largest importers of computer parts and components in Ethiopia. A relative newcomer to the coffee industry, Negusse had a coffee "Aha!" moment while visiting family in Minnesota, where he had an Ethiopian coffee pour over that gave him a new appreciation for the coffee from his home country. Inspired by this experience, he returned to Ethiopia with a goal of becoming one of the highest quality exporters of coffee in the country.
Origin: Ethiopia
Region: Gedeb
Producer: SNAP Coffee
Process: Washed
We Taste: Blood orange, Pluot, Honey
We love Banko Chelchele as a pour over to bring out the clarity and layered fruit notes. But like many of our Ethiopian coffees, its high solubility makes it beautifully versatile across any brew method.
