The History of Coffee Starts in Ethiopia and Their Coffee Drinking Ceremony Is BeautifulPosted by Carney Barry on May 23rd, 2021 The History of Coffee Starts in Ethiopia and Their Coffee Drinking Ceremony Is Beautiful Coffee is so much a part of our everyday lives today that most of us take it entirely for granted most of the time. Well, maybe not when we are shelling out .00 for a Mocha-Frappa-Lotta-Chino-Verte at the local coffee house -- but most of the time. Yet coffee has an interesting history. Especially in Ethiopia. Ethiopia? Yes. The small fruit-bearing shrub that is thought to be the origin of all the world's coffee plants -- called Coffea Arabica if you must know -- is thought to have originated in what is now Ethiopia. And even today many of the harvested beans from the farms and plantations come from what are basically wild plants. And the history of coffee here is very special and different from its history in Western Europe. Although many of the younger generation drink it much like we do -- as a morning pick-me-up -- most of the previous generations, back as far as recorded history, have had an almost sacred relationship with the drink. Even today, coffee is a very special drink in this East African nation. The Coffee Ceremony The making and serving of coffee involves an elaborate ceremony that starts with the spreading of sweet smelling grass and flowers on the ground or floor. Then the lady of the house roasts green, dried coffee beans in a skillet and pounds them into powder with a mortar. She adds this powder to a clay pot of water heating over a charcoal brazier. Then she flavors the coffee with one or several elaborate and unusual foods and spices with may include honey, butter, cinnamon, bitter herbs, salt and sugar. Finally, just as the coffee is being served, she will throw frankincense into the fire for aroma. It is customary to drink three cups at a sitting, each slightly weaker than the one before. You really don't have to go to so much trouble to enjoy a great cup of Joe. But you do need to grind the beans yourself just before you brew. This is important. Job EthiopiaLike it? Share it! More by this author |