One country, one coffee
Ethera is a single origin: every bag contains coffee from Ethiopia only, never blended with other countries. So you can taste where it comes from.
Origin
From the land where coffee began.
Ethiopia is regarded as the birthplace of Arabica coffee. To this day it grows in the forests, gardens and small farms of the highlands – and this is where every bag of Ethera begins.
Picked by hand
Ripe coffee cherries are picked by hand. It takes more effort than machine harvesting, but it ensures that only ripe fruit goes on to processing.
Medium roasted
The medium roast brings out sweetness and body without masking the character of the origin. That makes Ethera versatile: from espresso to French press.
All the way to Switzerland
Ethera is a brand of ZETA GmbH in Zurich. We bring the coffee to Switzerland and ship it with Swiss Post.
Ethiopia – the home of Arabica
The coffee plant Coffea arabica originates in the mountain forests of south-western Ethiopia, where it still grows wild today. A well-known legend tells of the goatherd Kaldi, whose goats became lively after eating red berries. It is not documented – but it shows how closely coffee and Ethiopia are linked.
In Ethiopia, coffee is both everyday life and culture. A large share of the harvest is drunk in the country itself, often in a coffee ceremony: the beans are freshly roasted, ground and brewed in a clay pot called a jebena.
The highlands
In Ethiopia, Arabica mostly grows at altitudes of roughly 1,500 to 2,200 metres. Cooler nights slow the ripening of the cherries – giving the bean more time to develop sugars and flavour.
Much of Ethiopia’s coffee comes from smallholders who grow it in gardens and forests alongside other plants. On top of that there is a diversity of local coffee plants found almost nowhere else.
What “single origin” means
Single origin means the coffee comes from one country of origin. Many coffees on the market are blends from several countries, often including Robusta. A single origin shows the character of where it comes from.
Ethera contains only Arabica from Ethiopia – nothing blended in. What you taste in the cup comes from the Ethiopian highlands and the medium roast.
From the highlands to your cup
Harvest
Ripe red cherries are picked by hand – often in several passes, because not all fruit ripens at the same time.
Processing
The cherries are dried and the bean is separated from the fruit. What remains is green coffee.
Journey
The green coffee travels in jute sacks from Ethiopia to Europe and on to Switzerland.
Roasting
Medium roast: the bean turns brown, develops sweetness and body and keeps the character of its origin.
Delivery
Packed in resealable bags and sent with Swiss Post – usually within 1–3 working days of confirmation.
Cup
Freshly ground and brewed well. You’ll find the right recipes in our coffee guides.
From our coffee guides
All guides →
Ethiopian coffee: from the land where it all began
Birthplace of arabica, typical flavours, processing and the coffee ceremony – an overview.
Arabica vs robusta: the two coffee species compared
Plant, altitude, caffeine, taste: what sets arabica apart from robusta – with a comparison table.
Buying coffee beans: a practical guide
Freshness, origin, roast and bag size: six criteria for buying coffee – and how ordering Ethera works.