Origin

Hambela Wamena, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Guji, located within Ethiopia’s Oromia Region, has become a distinguished coffee-producing area with a unique identity. Although wild coffee trees have thrived here for centuries, organized cultivation began in the 1960s and 1970s when local Oromo farmers started managing small plots using traditional, organic methods. Initially, Guji coffees were often sold under the broader Sidama classification, receiving little individual recognition. However, the 1990s and early 2000s brought significant changes with the establishment of private washing stations, enabling smallholders to process and market their coffees as distinct lots. This transformation, led by pioneering families like those behind Testi Coffee, marked Guji’s emergence as a distinct coffee origin.

By the 2010s, Guji's coffees gained international acclaim for their refined acidity, floral aromatics, and fruit-forward complexity, setting them apart from the lighter profiles of neighboring Yirgacheffe. The region's high elevations, ranging from 1,850 to 2,300 metres, along with rich volcanic soils and stable rainfall, provide an ideal terroir for specialty coffee production. Guji's farmers continue to cultivate indigenous heirloom varieties, many genetically unique to the area. Today, Guji is celebrated as one of Ethiopia’s most dynamic coffee zones, known for its success in competitions like the Cup of Excellence and its embrace of both traditional and innovative processing methods. The region’s reputation is built on the resilience of its smallholder farmers and the leadership of producers like Abubaker Oumar, whose focus on traceability and education has elevated Guji to global prominence. From humble beginnings, Guji has evolved into a respected coffee-growing region, celebrated for its diversity, purity, and expression of Ethiopia’s ancient coffee heritage.