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Ethiopian coffee is regarded to be one of the best coffees in the world due to its strong, rich taste and aroma. Ethiopia is also regarded as the natural home of coffee as it was first discovered here in the 16th century.
Ethiopia’s most favorite beverage is by far the Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopia is believed to be the birthplace of coffee and because of this; Ethiopians make their coffee somewhat differently. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is much more than just sipping a good cup of home-brewed coffee.
The coffee ceremony is an important cultural ritual that has been passed from generation to generation in the country believed to be the birthplace of coffee. This preparation is known as the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, which is an elaborate process that also forms an integral part of Ethiopian’s social and cultural life.
An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony, especially for non-Ethiopians is considered a deep mark of friendship and/or respect. Attending or participating in traditional Ethiopian coffee making ceremony is also an excellent way of sampling the very best of Ethiopian hospitality.
Unhurried preparation
The coffee making ceremony is almost obligatory in the presence of a visitor, no matter the time of day. The process is normally unhurried and can take a couple of hours depending on the number of people attending the occasion.
The coffee ceremony is mainly a ritualized form of brewing coffee and is almost an intimate form of taking and appreciating Ethiopian coffee. The coffee ceremony is usually conducted by one young woman, who in most cases is dressed up in the traditional Ethiopian costume of a white hand-woven dress with colored woven borders. The elaborate coffee brewing process commences with the ceremonial apparatus being arranged upon a bed of long scented local grass.
First, the woman fills a round-bottomed, black clay coffeepot known as a Jebena with water and places it over hot coals. She then takes a handful of green coffee beans and carefully cleans them in a heated, long-handled pan. She stirs the coffee beans over the hot charcoal or fire as she shakes the husks and debris out of the coffee beans to cleanse them before going on to roasts them in the pan.
The beans are roasted over the hot charcoal until they turn medium brown. The pungent smell of the coffee beans roasting over the fire mingles with the heady scent of incense that is always burned during the ceremony.
The aroma of the roasted coffee is powerful and is considered to be an important aspect of the coffee ceremony. The coffee beans are stirred until they turned and are shining under the aromatic oil that is coaxed out of them. The coffee is then ground by hand using a pestle known as Zenezena and a
mortar called Mukecha.
The ground coffee is then poured into the Jebena which contains boiling water and stirred slowly. At this point, the woman preparing the coffee removes the coffee beans from the heat and waves the pan to create an aromatic breeze around the house for the guests to appreciate the freshly brewing coffee. The freshly brewed coffee known as Bunna is then poured from the
Jebena into a decanter and allowed to cool down before it is poured back into the Jebena and brought to a boil. The process is repeated all over again, at least three times. The coffee is then filtered as it is poured into neat rows of delicate china cups known as Sini.
Three rounds of coffee
When invited to attend an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, it is somewhat rude to refuse to drink the coffee. The coffee service, like its preparation, is rife with deep symbolism and ceremony. Service often starts with the eldest to the youngest. However, in some instances the guest of honor is served first.
A total of three rounds of coffee are served, known successively as Abol, Tona and Baraka. According to Ethiopian folklore, the three names were the names of the three goats that originally discovered the original caffeine buzz thousands of years ago. The three cups of coffee taken symbolize some sort of spiritual elevation and transformation for the coffee taker.
The coffee is normally taken with plenty of sugar, but without milk and is generally complemented by a traditional snack such as peanuts or cooked barley.
In most parts of Ethiopia, especially in the countryside, the coffee ceremony takes place three times a day – in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It is the main social event within the village around which the village folks take time to discuss social affairs, community politics and general life.
(Source: – http://www.tourismethiopia.org)
The Ethiopian Herald February 27/2021
