FUGLEN COFFEE ROASTERS, OSLO
FUGLEN's history began in Oslo in 1963. The first FUGLEN was initially a tiny café called KAFFE FUGLEN. Later, with the addition of vintage Scandinavian design and the cocktail bar concept, FUGLEN has continued to evolve in its unique way over time, raising the coffee standard in Oslo.
“The bird in our logo is the tern, a migratory bird found in Oslo harbor that flies the longest distance in the world.
We want to live our lives like a migratory bird, which, like the tern, stops at port cities around the world, absorbs the excellent energy of the land, and travels on to the next land.”
Heleanna Georgalis - Ethiopia
COUNTRY: Ethiopia
FARM/COOP/STATION: Small holder farmers
VARIETAL: Heirloom
PROCESSING: Washed
ALTITUDE: 1800 -2100 m.a.s.l.
OWNER: Heleanna Georgalis
REGION: Chelbesa, Gedeb
FLAVOUR NOTES: Nectarine, Grapefruit & Clove
ABOUT THE COFFEE
This coffee is from Chelbesa Village, located in the District of Gedeb, itself found in the Zone of Gedio. The Yirgacheffe Chelbesa washing station was purchased in 2021 with the hope of producing high quality washed coffee.
Coffee from Gedeb has a florality that Yirgacheffe coffee has become known for. Cherries are typically juicy and large, with beans that, though small and compact, are full of complex flavours.
ABOUT HELEANA
Fuglen bought this coffee directly from Heleanna Georgalis who runs Moplaco Trading Company and is following in the footsteps of her father. Her goal is to source coffees from all over Ethiopia, keeping in mind two parameters: Deliciousness in the cup and respect for the local communities.
Having lived abroad most of her life, Heleanna fell into coffee in 2008 through the force majeure of destiny. She has been riding the third wave of coffee through rough seas but has finally dived into the clear blue waters. Moplaco expanded both down and up the chain of coffee and now controls processing, and with it, experimentation; farming and with it, hardship; exporting with all its drama; and finally roasting, and with it fun.
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Ethiopia is home to a vast landscape with geographical sub-regions ranging from dry and arid deserts to lush tropical jungles. Yet, the one defining characteristic of this diverse country in the horn of Africa is its highlands. The famous Great Rift Valley which stretches as far north as Syria runs right through Ethiopian heartlands and it is here where some of the world’s most renown Arabica coffee is produced.
Currently there are approximately 9 geographical regions within Ethiopia that produce coffee including Harrar(Harar), Sidama(Sidamo), Yirgacheffe, Limu, Djimmah(Jimma), Kaffa(Bonga), Nekempti(Lekempti), Wellega and Bebeka. And with thousands of wild varieties still unknown, Ethiopian heirlooms are either consistent year after year or completely take us by surprise with nuanced flavor profiles.
The Ethiopian Coffee Exchange(ECX) was created in 2008 as a platform to reduce price volatility for coffee producers and sellers alike. The exchange was thought to be a more modern, centralized trading system. Over the years, it has tried to improve transparency and advance the producers ability to distinguish their coffee from others. But the system has been met with challenges and producer(exporter) pushback.
In 2017, it was announced that the Ethiopian Coffee Authorities would modify the current system allowing for exporters with valid export licenses to directly sell their coffee to international buyers.
