A coffee lover’s paradise

If it’s a Venti Frappucino with whip that you crave, you have come to the wrong place, but if you want a small cup of fresh and strong coffee…welcome to Ethiopia. Although LeAnne and I are not fervent coffee drinkers, it’s hard to pass up the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. While coffee is a simple two-step process in most countries of the world, place cup, press button, enjoy coffee, if you want coffee in Ethiopia, you will have to do a little work. The coffee ceremony is an experience for all the senses. First, the coffee beans are bought in their raw green form and rinsed. Then they are roasted over a coal fire until dark brown and you can start to smell the coffee. The person roasting the beans walks around to all the guests so that they can take a whiff of the tantalizing aromas. Once they are cooled, the roasted coffee beans are placed in a large mortar and pestle and ground thoroughly. While this is going on, bark from a gum tree is placed in the coals to create smoky incense. A few teaspoons of the ground coffee are placed inside an intricately designed clay pitcher made especially for coffee that has boiled water. Once the coffee is ready, it is poured into small espresso cups and served with sugar. Most Ethiopians drink their coffee very sweet with multiple spoons of sugar. Sometimes, the coffee is served with popcorn to counterbalance the sweet flavors. Since the coffee is so strong and fresh, all you need is one small cup, but as the ceremony continues, a second and third round of coffee is served to each guest.