Southern Oromia zone whose coffees are described as fruit-forward and sweet, with bright citrus and berry-like acidity.
Guji is a zone of the Oromia Region, created in 2002 or 2003 (sources differ) when the upland woredas of Borena Zone were split off. It has since lost districts to West Guji Zone (seat Bule Hora, where Hambela Wamena now lies) and, in 2023, to the new East Borana Zone, which took its old seat Negele. Adola is now the Guji zone capital. Roaster guides give roughly 1,400-2,300 m for Guji coffee, in washed and natural styles, and describe stone fruit, floral honey, bright citrus and berry-like acidity and a syrupy body.
Field notes
- i
When Oromia's cabinet created East Borana Zone on 27 February 2023, Guji's seat Negele became the new zone's capital, which set off protests. Adola is now the Guji capital.
- ii
One exporter says Guji coffee was sold under the Sidamo name until it received its own trade designation in 2010.
- iii
Roasters describe Dega and Kurume as landraces from the West Guji Zone, selected from forest coffee that farmers have propagated for decades.
- iv
One exporter lists Guji areas from Bule Hora at about 1,700-2,000 m up to Hambela at about 1,900-2,300 m.
In the cup, according to guides
- BerryOften notedGuides describe berry-like acidity and stone fruit for Guji.
- AcidityMoreGuides describe bright citrus and berry-like acidity for Guji.
- FloralOften notedFloral honey is one of the notes described for Guji.
- Stone fruitOften notedExporters describe peach and apricot notes in Guji lots.
- Tropical fruitOften notedOne exporter describes natural Guji lots with tropical fruit and a full, syrupy body.
Within Guji
Elsewhere in Ethiopia
Sources · 13 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Guji Zone · Wikipedia
- Guide to Ethiopian Green Coffee Origins · Ethio Coffee (exporter)
- Ethiopian Coffee Guide · 1Zpresso
- Ethiopia: Heavy rains in Borana and Guji zones (Oromiya Region) cause critical and deteriorating humanitarian situation · UNDP Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia, via ReliefWeb (1 Jun 2003)
- West Guji Zone · Wikipedia
- Hambela Wamena · Wikipedia
- East Borana Zone · Wikipedia
- New zone in Ethiopia's Oromia region triggers more unrest (Ethiopia Insight, repost) · Ethiopia Insight (Nagessa Dube, 23 Sep 2023), reposted by Martin Plaut
- Ethiopia - Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), version 04 · UN OCHA, from the Central Statistics Agency and regional Bureaus of Finance and Economic Development
- Guji coffee: origin page · Ethio Coffee Import and Export PLC (Ethiopian exporter)
- Let's Talk About Heirloom Varietals of Ethiopia · The Roasters Pack
- Wolisho (cultivar page) · Inheritance Coffee
- Varieties Glossary · Sucafina