Burundi Masha (Esp)

Masha washing station takes its name from the sub-hill it calls home, a place once better known for cattle than coffee. “Masha” comes from the Kirundi word amasho, meaning “herds of cattle”, and local herders still greet each other with gira amasho, or “owner of cows”. Built in 1989, the station now works with smallholder families who typically grow around 200 to 250 coffee trees alongside food and other crops. During harvest, cherries are picked by hand, carefully floated and sorted, then fermented, washed and dried across roughly 170 raised beds. It’s a highly hands-on process, with plenty of attention given to every little detail from cherry to export.