Being invited to a coffee ceremony is a mark of great respect. In Eritrea and Ethiopia, it brings relatives, neighbours, and visitors together in a social gathering.
Green coffee beans are first roasted over an open flame in a pan, then ground, boiled in a clay jebena jug, strained, and served. Popcorn is offered as a snack. Traditionally, loose grass is spread on the area where the coffee ceremony is held, but we use a round grass plate.
We usually serve coffee from Yirgacheffe. It’s not like other coffees. It has a distinctively fruity flavour profile and a bright, floral aroma. It is consistently ranked among the best coffee in the world and certainly among the best in Ethiopia itself. It’s widely considered to be the birthplace of coffee. Ethiopia is the motherland of all Arabica coffee! When coffee was taken to other countries, people had to find ways to adapt it to the local climate. That’s why Arabica coffee grows best in places with climates similar to that of Ethiopia: mountainous and tropical, with moderate wet and dry seasons.
