Producer Profile: Lekali

Tenzing Sherpa runs the only specialty coffee farm in Nepal. The Lekali Estate only uses organic fertilizers—typically a natural mixture of cow manure, molasses, and tree leaves—and the farm is planted with Arabica coffee trees. There are shade-grown coffees as well as coffee grown under the sun. From Arabica species, the dominant varietals at the farm are Typica and Caturra. The estate’s main processing method is washed. Coffee pickers are trained to pick only ripe cherries at the perfect point of maturation. After picking, the coffee is depulped and the mucilage coat is removed. After depulping the fermentation process starts. After the mucilage breaks down during fermentation, the coffee gets pre-dried to remove surface water. The moisture level of the final product during drying process is 12 percent, which is achieved slowly on raised beds.

The Nepal specialty coffee scene is still in the process of growing and developing. Tenzing is one of the only people trying to make a difference in the specialty coffee scene in Nepal.

For more information, please visit www.lekalicoffee.com