Ethiopia is not only where coffee was born: it is where coffee has been most deeply embedded in the lives of people. To understand Ethiopian coffee culture is to understand something intrinsically true about coffee. The Origin Story The legend states there was a goat herder called Kaldi.
As it happens, the goats became lively and frisky after eating the ripe berries from a certain tree. Kaldi took the berries to a local monastery.
The monks drank the berries and found they kept them awake through lengthy evening Prayers. It's true or not, but the origin of coffee is surely related to the region called Kaffa in Ethiopia the word 'coffee' probably borrowing from "Kaffa". The Coffee Ceremony The Ethiopian coffee ceremony (bunna maflat) is arguably the most elaborate social ritual in Ethiopia.
Women perform it, it can last as long as two hours, and there are three different "brews" of coffee: abol, tona and baraka, with each subsequent brew being weaker than the last. It is considered rude to leave before the third brew.
The green coffee beans are washed and then they are roasted in front of the guests by the fire. The coffee is roasted on charcoal, ground in a wooden mortar, and brewed in a clay pot called a jebena. The coffee is served in small handle-less cups called sini and it is usually sweetened with sugar, never with milk.
The Growing Regions Ethiopia's various coffee-growing regions all produce different flavour profiles. Yirgacheffe, which produces the bright floral mostly citrus-forward beans Sidama which produces a richer, fuller-bodied cup with a stone fruit flavour.
Harrar in the east produces a wild, wine-like, naturally processed coffee unlike any other available. How to Experience It If you go to Ethiopia, take every invitation to a coffee ceremony. In Addis Ababa, the Tomoca cafe operating since 1953is a mecca for coffee fanatics. If you're in Yirgacheffe, take a tour of a coffee farm listed on Viator. Discover the unique Ethiopian single origin coffees at Global Coffee Haven.