One of the interesting features of Ethiopian culture is coffee drinking.

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Ethiopian coffee ceremony culture

Ethiopia is a unique tourist destination in Africa because of its rich culture, history and natural scenery. One of the interesting features of Ethiopian culture is coffee drinking, a tradition that has been around for centuries. It is not surprising if you consider the fact that coffee is a gift from Ethiopia to the world. As for the history of coffee's birthplace, here's what it says: a shepherd in southwestern Ethiopia stumbled upon his goat's euphoria after eating berries from a local coffee bush called "kaffa" (kaffa is the source of the English word coffee (coffee) and French word (caf é), where visitors can now find wild coffee plants.) After tasting it, the shepherd found that the berry could give him a new kind of energy. Later it was believed that monks refreshed themselves by drinking coffee during long prayers. Therefore, it is very appropriate to tell Chinese friends about Ethiopian coffee drinking culture, because China is the birthplace of tea drinking culture. Coffee is to Ethiopia what tea is to China. Tea has a delicate tradition of drinking tea, and Ethiopia also has a very beautiful traditional ceremony of drinking coffee, although it is not as popular as the tea drinking ceremony. There is no formal training in Ethiopia, unlike in China, where young people get formal training even in vocational schools. For most Ethiopians, whether in towns or in rural areas, it is inconceivable that they do not drink a few cups of coffee during the day. They drink coffee and have snacks every morning, and they may eat like this many times a day. Coffee is also the best drink offered by Ethiopian families to distinguished guests, while coffee drinking ceremonies are the best occasion for exchanging views with neighbors and friends or discussing activities between neighbors or between larger towns. In Ethiopia, the most interesting thing about coffee drinking rituals is that most of the main utensils used to make coffee are traditional or handmade, such as pottery pots (Jabina) and crushers (or Mukcha). It is unthinkable to brew coffee in an aluminum pot, which will only destroy the natural taste of coffee beans. All Ethiopian women have these special utensils for daily coffee making. In the past, coffee beans were roasted with a flat pottery vessel called "mitad", but now coffee beans are roasted on a 1-disc, which is washed by hand many times before roasting, and then mashed the black or brown beans in a wooden Mukcha until they are powdered. The corner of the coffee drinking ceremony should be cleaned and paved with freshly cut grass before the coffee set is brought in. Fresh grass has a certain symbolic meaning, it is thought to bode well, can gradually emit a fresh smell, and can also be used as an eye-pleasing decoration for drinking rituals. Officially invited guests are happy to hear the sound of mashing coffee beans so that they can then fully enjoy drinking coffee. With the crushing of coffee beans, there must be something encouraging, a sensory stimulation, which makes drinking coffee a wonderful experience. Coffee is usually placed on wooden or aluminum trays, on which there are a dozen or more white round clay cups, and steaming coffee is poured into clay cups to entertain guests. Depending on the taste of the guest, the coffee is served with salt or mixed with a spoonful of butter or sugar. Lighting incense is also an integral part of the coffee drinking ceremony. The hostess who makes coffee has her own unique preference for pottery cups that are usually small and round and of different colors. In general, the coffee that guests drink will be served in cups designed by themselves. Once the coffee pot containing boiled coffee was removed from the fire, the hostess would quickly light the incense on a small piece of clay and put it by the door. The smell of incense emanates outside the door, and the hostess who invites the neighbor to have coffee will formally invite the eldest guest to bless you, and the elder will preside over the ceremony, who whispers in his or her mouth. thank the gods of the house (also known as Adeba) and pray for peace and joy throughout the day, wishing the sick recover, the poor out of poverty or find a job. Ethiopian coffee is also spiritually supported, and it is often used as a way to communicate with the gods in the house or village. In Ethiopia, it is forbidden for men to make coffee. Making coffee is strictly a woman's traditional job. The host will bring snacks to the guests before serving coffee. The snack may be baked buckwheat cakes, bread or a piece of Yingjera, a round pancake made from the unique cereal bran of Ethiopia. The hostess of the coffee then poured a few drops of coffee into each cup and spilled them on the floor to the house god. Ethiopians believe that the house god is present every time the coffee is made, and it is believed that the Ethiopian coffee drinking ceremony evolved from a ceremony dedicated to the house gods. What makes the Ethiopian coffee drinking ceremony unique and interesting is that the coffee is served three times in a row (called Agbor, Tona and Bereka, respectively), by adding hot water to the pot and boiling it three times in a row, so that after each boiling, the coffee becomes lighter and whiter. Guests should stay in the same place during the coffee drinking ceremony, because it is very impolite to leave during the coffee drinking ceremony, which may last for an hour, sometimes even two hours, depending on the situation. At the end of the ceremony, all the people present, especially the elderly, would like to wish all the guests good health, wealth and safety. In the end, all utensils used in the coffee drinking ceremony should be washed and neatly arranged and placed until the next ceremony. The cup and cup box are covered with a neat piece of cloth, and the whole set of utensils should be put in a special place for next use. You can enjoy this Ethiopian coffee drinking ceremony in many large hotels in Addis Ababa, which will give you a meaningful experience and a taste of Ethiopia's interesting culture and traditions.