In Africa, Ethiopia is regarded as the birth place of coffee. Infact, Ethiopia produces some of the most unique and fascinating coffees in the world.
The country is Africa’s biggest producer and ranks fifth globally. Last year it exported 190,000 tonnes of coffee beans, earning around $700 million, and in 2016 Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa will host the 4th World Coffee Conference, a high-level gathering of global experts.
In Ethiopia, consuming coffee has traditionally been a ceremonial affair with a deep, spiritual meaning, conducted at home. The beans are roasted in an open pan so that their rich aroma draws family, neighbours and other guests to gather.
After they are ground with a mortar and pestle, the coffee is brewed in a jug and poured into small cups from a height, with an up-and-down motion. Cups are filled to the brim, representing a wish for “fullness of life” for the guest, and there are three servings, the last of which is called baraka, or blessing.
Ethiopians are coffee drinkers with a history of drinking and enjoying coffee for over 1,000 years, little wonder why the nation is called a home of coffee.
Photo Credit: Cnn
