Ethiopia: African Queen
Ethiopia is the home of coffee. The genetic origins of Coffea Arabica lie in two areas separated by the Great Rift Valley.
There, wild varieties of coffee (Ethiopian mocha) grow, offering a wide genetic range and – comparable to our native wild strawberries – a uniquely intense aroma in the cup. The fruity coffees with notes of wild berries, flowers (jasmine) and cocoa clearly stand out from all other coffees and have given this coffee flavour the name ‘mocha’ (as Ethiopian coffees were shipped and traded via the Yemeni port city of Mocha for a long time). To this day, coffees with intense cocoa tones are known worldwide as ‘mocha’ or “mokka”. This is why the cappuccino with chocolate, which is very popular in the USA, is called ‘caffè mocha’.
The discovery of coffee and its effects is also attributed to an Ethiopian. According to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats became more lively after eating red cherries from an unknown shrub (a coffee bush). Kaldi took the fruits of the bush to a nearby monastery and told the monks about his observation. Intrigued, the monks tried the fruits and noticed how alert and focused they felt. Coffee as an energising drink had been discovered.
Ethiopia is also the only country in the world that has a coffee ceremony. Nowhere else is there a fixed ritual for preparing coffee in honour of guests. This is particularly interesting given that, with the exception of the present day, coffee has always been a luxury commodity that was highly prized and for which increasingly sophisticated preparation methods were developed. It is interesting to note why no other coffee ceremonies have developed against this backdrop. But back to the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. First, grass is scattered on the floor (in office buildings in Addis Ababa, I have also been able to enjoy the ceremony on artificial turf mats), then a fire is lit in front of the guests sitting in a semicircle, and later a piece of charcoal is taken from this fire and placed in a small clay bowl with incense. Especially in enclosed spaces, such as hotel lobbies or breakfast rooms, the smoke can really bother the participants – personally, I find coffee ceremonies in the open air much more pleasant. Green coffee beans are placed in a flat metal bowl, the ‘Breth-Metad’, and roasted.The beans are moved and turned using a metal scraper. This usually results in a very uneven roast, with a mixture of very dark, medium and light beans, often with areas of intense roasting. After roasting, the roasted coffee beans are first presented to the guests in a clay bowl with a handle, who fan the aroma of the freshly roasted coffee beans. Following tradition, the rising aroma is usually fanned three times by hand. After the presentation, the coffee beans are ground in a wooden mortar (‘mukecha’) and then placed in a clay pot, the “jebena”, in which water has been heated beforehand. The ‘jebena’ stands in a charcoal brazier and simmers slowly. The coffee is then poured into small clay cups (nowadays these are ceramic bowls from China) and served to the guests. In rural areas, various fresh herbs are often added to the coffee before consumption. This is a challenging practice for Western palates, as it masks the essential characteristics of the coffee. The fresh herbs, which often have an intense soapy, perfume-like taste, do not harmonise with the coffee.While the coffee beans are being presented, popcorn is prepared on the ‘Breth-Metad’ using the remaining coffee oil from the freshly roasted beans. This is usually served with the coffee either plain or lightly salted – in rare cases, it is also served lightly sweetened. I have experienced this ceremony myself several times (in various regions of Ethiopia as well as in several European countries) and still find it very impressive in its detailed nature. In addition, the coffee usually has an exceptionally good taste, even though many of the practices do not in any way promote the creation of a balanced cup of coffee. The roasting is completely uneven, the grinding of the coffee is inconsistent, the water is too hot and the coffee – both green and roasted – is too fresh after harvesting or roasting, and yet it is as if the various flaws cancel each other out in many ways.
This is certainly due to the emotional situation – but there are also scientifically sound explanations. In short, Ethiopia is a country that every coffee enthusiast should consider visiting. It is probably the only coffee-producing country where you can drink good to very good coffee almost everywhere.You should also not miss the old Italian-influenced coffee bars near Maskal Square. The coffees now come from up to 20 different regions, three of which have a clearly dominant character: Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. My personal favourite remains a coffee region that was only recognised as independent very late in the day – the Arsi-Oromo area in the Gololcha region. Due to the country's trade policy, this coffee was mixed with various other coffee origins and qualities for a long time and sold as ‘Jimma 5’, which was one of the lowest qualities in the country. The same applied to the now famous and popular Ethiopian ‘wild coffee’, which mostly comes from the Bonga region. This too was classified as an unknown coffee that did not originate from any of the traditional growing areas and could not be assigned to any of them, so it was mixed with all other origins and qualities and classified as ‘Jimma 5’. This was also the reason why some of the speciality coffees from Ethiopia remained undiscovered for so long.
Ethiopia can therefore rightly be described as one of the most important coffee nations – with its own coffee varieties, regions and a unique and independent coffee ceremony. You can also experience this ceremony here in Germany.Many Ethiopian exiles roast their own coffee at home and enjoy inviting guests to coffee ceremonies with great pride. As a result, Ethiopians and Eritreans across the country are increasingly offering a variety of coffee ceremonies for everyone to enjoy. It is a ceremony that no one in the coffee industry should forget or be unaware of.
#Coffee #Ethiopia #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeEnjoyment #CoffeeCeremony #Mocha #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeLovers #CoffeeHistory # CoffeeWorld #CoffeeJourney #CoffeeRegions #CoffeeAroma #CoffeeExperience #EthiopianCoffee #CoffeeTradition #CoffeeGenetics #CoffeePreparation #CoffeeVibes
There, wild varieties of coffee (Ethiopian mocha) grow, offering a wide genetic range and – comparable to our native wild strawberries – a uniquely intense aroma in the cup. The fruity coffees with notes of wild berries, flowers (jasmine) and cocoa clearly stand out from all other coffees and have given this coffee flavour the name ‘mocha’ (as Ethiopian coffees were shipped and traded via the Yemeni port city of Mocha for a long time). To this day, coffees with intense cocoa tones are known worldwide as ‘mocha’ or “mokka”. This is why the cappuccino with chocolate, which is very popular in the USA, is called ‘caffè mocha’.
The discovery of coffee and its effects is also attributed to an Ethiopian. According to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats became more lively after eating red cherries from an unknown shrub (a coffee bush). Kaldi took the fruits of the bush to a nearby monastery and told the monks about his observation. Intrigued, the monks tried the fruits and noticed how alert and focused they felt. Coffee as an energising drink had been discovered.
Ethiopia is also the only country in the world that has a coffee ceremony. Nowhere else is there a fixed ritual for preparing coffee in honour of guests. This is particularly interesting given that, with the exception of the present day, coffee has always been a luxury commodity that was highly prized and for which increasingly sophisticated preparation methods were developed. It is interesting to note why no other coffee ceremonies have developed against this backdrop. But back to the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. First, grass is scattered on the floor (in office buildings in Addis Ababa, I have also been able to enjoy the ceremony on artificial turf mats), then a fire is lit in front of the guests sitting in a semicircle, and later a piece of charcoal is taken from this fire and placed in a small clay bowl with incense. Especially in enclosed spaces, such as hotel lobbies or breakfast rooms, the smoke can really bother the participants – personally, I find coffee ceremonies in the open air much more pleasant. Green coffee beans are placed in a flat metal bowl, the ‘Breth-Metad’, and roasted.The beans are moved and turned using a metal scraper. This usually results in a very uneven roast, with a mixture of very dark, medium and light beans, often with areas of intense roasting. After roasting, the roasted coffee beans are first presented to the guests in a clay bowl with a handle, who fan the aroma of the freshly roasted coffee beans. Following tradition, the rising aroma is usually fanned three times by hand. After the presentation, the coffee beans are ground in a wooden mortar (‘mukecha’) and then placed in a clay pot, the “jebena”, in which water has been heated beforehand. The ‘jebena’ stands in a charcoal brazier and simmers slowly. The coffee is then poured into small clay cups (nowadays these are ceramic bowls from China) and served to the guests. In rural areas, various fresh herbs are often added to the coffee before consumption. This is a challenging practice for Western palates, as it masks the essential characteristics of the coffee. The fresh herbs, which often have an intense soapy, perfume-like taste, do not harmonise with the coffee.While the coffee beans are being presented, popcorn is prepared on the ‘Breth-Metad’ using the remaining coffee oil from the freshly roasted beans. This is usually served with the coffee either plain or lightly salted – in rare cases, it is also served lightly sweetened. I have experienced this ceremony myself several times (in various regions of Ethiopia as well as in several European countries) and still find it very impressive in its detailed nature. In addition, the coffee usually has an exceptionally good taste, even though many of the practices do not in any way promote the creation of a balanced cup of coffee. The roasting is completely uneven, the grinding of the coffee is inconsistent, the water is too hot and the coffee – both green and roasted – is too fresh after harvesting or roasting, and yet it is as if the various flaws cancel each other out in many ways.
This is certainly due to the emotional situation – but there are also scientifically sound explanations. In short, Ethiopia is a country that every coffee enthusiast should consider visiting. It is probably the only coffee-producing country where you can drink good to very good coffee almost everywhere.You should also not miss the old Italian-influenced coffee bars near Maskal Square. The coffees now come from up to 20 different regions, three of which have a clearly dominant character: Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. My personal favourite remains a coffee region that was only recognised as independent very late in the day – the Arsi-Oromo area in the Gololcha region. Due to the country's trade policy, this coffee was mixed with various other coffee origins and qualities for a long time and sold as ‘Jimma 5’, which was one of the lowest qualities in the country. The same applied to the now famous and popular Ethiopian ‘wild coffee’, which mostly comes from the Bonga region. This too was classified as an unknown coffee that did not originate from any of the traditional growing areas and could not be assigned to any of them, so it was mixed with all other origins and qualities and classified as ‘Jimma 5’. This was also the reason why some of the speciality coffees from Ethiopia remained undiscovered for so long.
Ethiopia can therefore rightly be described as one of the most important coffee nations – with its own coffee varieties, regions and a unique and independent coffee ceremony. You can also experience this ceremony here in Germany.Many Ethiopian exiles roast their own coffee at home and enjoy inviting guests to coffee ceremonies with great pride. As a result, Ethiopians and Eritreans across the country are increasingly offering a variety of coffee ceremonies for everyone to enjoy. It is a ceremony that no one in the coffee industry should forget or be unaware of.
#Coffee #Ethiopia #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeEnjoyment #CoffeeCeremony #Mocha #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeLovers #CoffeeHistory # CoffeeWorld #CoffeeJourney #CoffeeRegions #CoffeeAroma #CoffeeExperience #EthiopianCoffee #CoffeeTradition #CoffeeGenetics #CoffeePreparation #CoffeeVibes