Coffee is the biggest export for Ethiopia and the coffee is amazing. I am sure many of us have enjoyed a $6.00 cup of Ethiopian caffeine at a local hipster café somewhere in the United States, but I have to tell you it does not compare to the coffee ceremony here in Ethiopia. As a means of socializing, showing hospitality to each other, and simply passing the time, the women (and some men) of Ethiopia prepare the coffee in a spectacular process. This is not just going to the grocery store and buying already ground coffee and placing it in a coffee machine, it is the real deal, maybe the way coffee was meant to be drank according to the bhunna (coffee in Amharic) gods. Someone will invite you into their home in the morning, afternoon or the evening to enjoy this treat. Sylvia and I have been the happy participants of this age old cultural ceremony countless times since our time in Ethiopia, and Sylvia has even prepared a coffee ceremony herself. So enough with this, what is a bhunna ceremony? Let me tell you….
First, the beans are washed and then hand roasted over open coals. The beans are roasted in a small roasting pan called a man-kesh-kesh. The coals (faham in Tigrenya) are prepared on a small tin stove called a fornyello. The coals are fanned to get them orange with flames. Once the coals are ready and the beans are washed the coffee ceremony master will place the beans on the coals in the man-kesh-kesh. The beans are carefully hand roasted until they are dark brown and steaming the most amazing fragrance (the coffee maker brings the pan to you to smell). Once these beans are roasted, they are allowed to cool down a bit. At this point the coffee maker may begin to pop popcorn in a pot for the bhunna koursi (coffee meal), sometimes we have entire meal consisting of injeera or himbasha (the Ethiopian flat bread and homemade white bread, respectiviely). Anyways, while the beans cool people continue to chat or icchawit about the day, neighborhood gossip or other important events going on in town. Recently the topic of conversation is the lack of running water as the engine which pumps the water is broken, and no one seems to know how to fix it, but that is for another post.
Once the beans are cool enough, they are placed into a wooden mortar and pestle. At this point the coffee maker begins to pulverize the beans until they are ground appropriately or you can cheat like Sylvia and I and place them in a spice grinder. The coffee is ready for brewing now. Next, the water will be added to the clay pot (jebena). Once the water is about boiling the freshly ground coffee is added to the jebena. Now the jebena is placed back on the fornyello until it almost boils over. Next, the coffee will be taken off of the jebena and allowed to settle. This is the time to eat the bhunna koursi, bread or popcorn. At this point, we are definitely ready to drink the coffee after smelling the aroma for the past ten minutes and watching the jebena boil. After the snack the coffee will be poured into small cups (finjal) and served to each of the people whom are present. At least two tablespoons of sugar is added to the small cup, but some people add less or none at all. We have also seen people add butter to the coffee and salt, thankfully it is not common in northern Tigray (didn’t love it). The eldest person will be served first and then the others. We drink the tiny cup, talk some more. It is also important to say delicious coffee (toum Bhun) to the maker of the coffee, as not to be rude or imply that her coffee is no good. Then more water is added to the jebena and boiled again, twice more. It is customary to have three cups of coffee, though you can decline the second and third cup if you feel. This is one of our favorite past times here in Ethiopia. When you have coffee with someone it means you are a good friend. You talk about your day, talk about school, Ethiopian development, the price of wheat or other hot topics to discuss. The entire process can take anywhere from one to two hours. It is not only just to drink amazing coffee, but also a sort of social activity, like grabbing a beer after work or a cup of coffee at a café in the United States. It really helps a person slow down, enjoy the company of our amazing friends and stop and smell the freshly roasted coffee beans. If you want freshly roasted coffee brewed in front of you, you must come and visit us! See you then....
Love and Peace,
Jimi and Sylvia