I WAS BORN IN ETHIOPIA, NOW I’M EVERYWHERE

 

Did you ever know” that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee? It was in the forests of Keffa region (see on the map) that coffee was discovered, by a goat shepherd called Kaldi, where it grew wild.

Kaldi, the young goat herder discovered coffee after watching his goats frolic energetically after eating the fruit of a coffee shrub. It is a part of the history, the culture, the economy and its ceremony which is the daily life of Ethiopians.

Ethiopian people daily hold coffee ceremony as an integral part of social and cultural life in a ritualised form of making and drinking coffee socially to show a mark of friendship, respect & hospitality.
Ethiopia brewed a culture of ritual around the roasting, steeping, and drinking of coffee. Brewing coffee in a jebena (clay pot) is one of the oldest methods of making coffee. See how coffee ceremony, using Jebena (pot), is performed in the presence of visitors or invitees whatever the time of the day.

Coming together in an Ethiopian coffee ceremony is one of the most generous, ritualistic ways to drink it. The ceremony takes about two hours from start to finish, beginning with the roasting of beans in a flat pan over coals then crushed, traditionally, by mortar and pestle, before the hefty pile of coffee is put in jebena to boil.

With the scents of frankincense and myrrh mingling with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee, the multi-hour ritual might seem like a special occasion to an outsider, but in coffee’s native home, it’s simply an everyday lifestyle looking forward to drinking and meeting family and friends.

Coffee has social value in our society. It is deep rooted in our culture. The coffee ceremony in local areas is used mainly for social gatherings. In the mornings and evenings parents, especially mothers gather together for a coffee ceremony and also use it as a platform for exchanging information in their surroundings. It is a means of communication. When people sit down they usually spend over two hours finalizing the ceremony, starting with the preparation, and then roasting to brewing it.

Ethiopia, one of the oldest countries in the world, a country of three thousand years of history, thirteen months of sunshine and home of the earliest known humankind, Lucy, our ancestor, also displays exquisite and authentic cuisines to devour.

In Ethiopia entertaining our guests with food and music is an integral part of our social and family life. Usually people do not need advance warning.neighbours and strangers who just drop by expect to be at least served with some kind of nourishment.

It's the tradition you'll experience when you go out for Ethiopian food, where meals are served on a communal platter (mesob see picture- a colourful platter hand made from straw) and food is scooped up with bits of injera - a huge, round, thin delicious, spongy flatbread.

Injera is served with most of Ethiopian meals.

In Ethiopia, it's OK to share a plate of food and eat with your fingers (see picture). Eating from the same plate with others is one of the most common dietary social customs in Ethiopia. Our custom also carries strong significance in Ethiopian social culture. Eating all together while chatting, laughing and discussing about life, business, education, religion, culture etc.… Eating from one plate and friendly invitations are commonly exercised as important symbols that signify one heart, one mind and one soul of true friendship.

When the bill arrives, they either share the bill or one of the members with higher earning pays the entire bill. Paying for one another is also one of the most common dietary social cultures in Ethiopia.

It is believed that people who eat from the same plate do not betray each other, nor would they abandon one another in times of challenges. Ethiopians also believed that people who eat together will live together, live for one another and die for each other. Need not disappointed, however, it’s unfortunate that this tradition and beliefs are gradually changing with the changing times. This is, most likely, limited to big cities due to change in lifestyles, exposure to foreign influences and other environmental impacts.
Basically, Ethiopian food includes tastes and aromas you don't typically encounter. But if you're willing to venture out of your comfort zone and try something new, you'll find some of the best-tasting and most healthful foods you'll ever eat.

A traditional Ethiopian meal involves many thick, spicy, earth-coloured stews served family-style with injera. To fully enjoy the experience, you have to be willing to surrender your utensils, share everything and let everybody’s hands soak in to the essence of food flavour stopping only long enough to gasp for air, lick errant goodness off your fingers and gulp the good taste of Ethiopian beer.
For exotic flavours and communal finger foods, for inexpensive and extremely satisfying Ethiopian foods, a visit to your local restaurants and cafes will get you very close to HOME. However, please, feel free to comply with your custom: you either share the bill or one person pays. Thank you.

There are a small number of Ethiopian restaurants and cafes in your locals who are dedicated to share their deep-rooted traditions of coffee ceremony and authentic Ethiopian dishes. It’s recommended that you inquire if coffee ceremony is provided and all ritual factors including costs. All they ask from the customers is, perhaps, patience, respect their head bowing greetings, to slow down a little, use your fingers to eat wisely and enjoy the meals. (Do you still have any questions how to use your fingers? Please, don’t be shy, ask; they’re there to show & tell.)

ENJOY YOUR VISIT!