Published in "Good Taste" magazine

In Praise of Coffee

In Ethiopia, coffee is everywhere. The potent brew is served in tiny cups in traditional daily coffee ceremonies in homes all over the country - and the elaborate ceremonies have profound significance.

Story: Keri Harvey

A sleek young woman arranges long-stemmed scented grass on the naked floor, her long white cotton dress and shawl lending a religious look to the scene. Only her face and hands are exposed from the white cloth that's edged with bright embroidery typical of Ethiopian traditional dress.

She moves with the grace of a swan, and places a small rustic burner full of glowing charcoal on the grass. On top of it all goes a shallow pan of wet green coffee beans. There is no talking and no music. Just quiet, as the woman in white gently washes the beans in the heated pan.

As she swishes the hard beans to and fro, dense clouds of incense envelop her from a nearby burner holding rocks of smouldering Frankincense, but she stays focused on her task. Slowly the water evapourates completely and the green beans begin to roast and darken in colour, their aromatic oils being gently coaxed from them.

There's a heady atmosphere in the room, as we watch the ceremony intently. Next, the woman in white pours the hot beans into a well-worn wooden pestle and thrusts down on the mound with her long-handled mortar. The rough-ground mixture is then fed into a traditional black clay coffee pot, called a jebena, with a rounded bottom and straw lid. Back onto the coals the pot bubbles and brews, while a tray of tiny handleless China cups is neatly arranged.

Then, the beautiful woman in white sends the youngest child to gather the family for coffee, and suddenly the room fills. Strained through a fine sieve to catch the rough grounds, the eldest in the room is served first, then the golden brew is strained again and served to the next generation and the third straining is for the younger children - so connecting all the generations of the family.

Everyone sits back and sips the strong bitter brew, and praises flow freely for the flavour and skillful preparation of the coffee. Plenty of sugar is added, but never milk, and in the countryside, salt is used instead of sugar. Between praises, drinkers snack on popcorn, peanuts or roasted barley.

In most parts of Ethiopia, coffee ceremonies take place at least three times a day - at morning, noon and night - and it's a relaxing social event and a time to discuss the latest news in the village, and, well, life in general. While the preparation ceremony takes about half an hour, the actual drinking goes on much longer with a minimum of three cups being consumed by everyone. It's believed a transformation of spirit takes place during the ceremony and the third round carries an additional blessing.

Taking this long to prepare a cup of coffee would not suit most westerners, who live in an increasingly "instant" world. But in Ethiopia, coffee takes on almost god-like adoration and so a ceremony seems fitting to celebrate the brew that is the lifeblood of the country. That's the way of life in Ethiopia, and possibly has been since coffee was first discovered there in around 800 AD.

Ethiopia is believed to be the original birthplace of coffee, and most certainly of the Arabica bean. Popular legend credits a young goat herder, Kaldi, from Kaffa in southwestern Ethiopia, with the find. One day his curious goats sampled the bright red berries that grow wild on the forested hillsides there. Suddenly the goats all had a spring in their step, so Kaldi tasted the red berries too.

With renewed energy the herder rushed home to his wife with a pocket full of beans and told her the story. She took a handful of beans to the monks, who tossed the beans in the fire believing them to be evil. But the smell of roasting coffee beans enveloped them and the monks quickly raked the beans from the fire and distilled them in boiling water. All the monks tasted the brew and found that it kept them awake and alert for their holy devotions that night - and gave them a "lift". And it still does just that for millions worldwide every day - thanks to a herd of goats and a couple of monks.

From this quirky beginning, Ethiopia today produces of the finest coffee in the world with their premium washed Arabica beans fetching some of the highest prices on the world market. Over 12 million Ethiopians are involved in the country's coffee industry which produces over two thirds of the country's total earnings. Of the 200 000 tons of coffee produced annually, about half is consumed locally.

Though over 400 000 hectares of coffee are cultivated in Ethiopia, virtually all of it is grown in forest or semi-forest conditions, or in gardens, and very few corporate farms exist. The plant also still grows wild in many areas. However, coffee from different regions all tastes slightly different, because of varying climatic conditions. Kaffa's forested hillsides protect coffee plants from the sun, while Harar is known for its longberry variety with a unique wine-like flavour and sharp acidic edge.

However, unlike the pungent, acidic brews of Kenya, Ethiopian Arabica coffee is closer in character to the Mocha variety of Yemen. The original Arabica bean is still the only one grown and drunk in Ethiopia today, and accounts for 70% of the world's coffee. It has a delicate strong flavour that is lost if over roasted.

Sudanese slaves are credited with bringing coffee from Ethiopia to Arabia. They chewed the berries on route to help them survive the journey. There's also evidence that coffee was ground and mixed with butter and consumed like chocolate for sustenance - and the practice still continues today in the Kaffa and Sidamo areas, which are chief coffee producing areas in Ethiopia.

One thing's for sure - in Ethiopia, there's no such thing as "instant" coffee. Instead, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes us back to a time when value was placed on community and conversation - and preparing and drinking coffee was a fine way to facilitate this. Nothing wrong with a little pomp and ceremony for this black brew that is the lifeblood of Ethiopia.

Types of Ethiopian coffee
Harrar - grown in the Eastern Highlands, the bean in medium in size with a green-yellow colour. It has a medium acidity, full body and a distinctive mocha flavour. It is also one o the highest premium coffees in the world.
Wollega - produced in western Ethiopia, this is a medium to bold bean known for its fruity taste. It is green-brown in colour and known for its good acidity and body. Many roasters add this flavour to their blends.
Limu - known for its spicy flavour, this green-blue round bean is popular in EURpe and the USA. It has good acidity and body, and washed Limu is one of the premium coffees.
Yirgacheffe - this is one of the best highland grown coffees and has fine acidity and rich body. Its intense flavour is known as "flora", and roasters are attracted to its delicate and fine flavour.