Ethiopia: Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Arguably the world best coffee beans (Arabica) come from here, all hand grown and hand harvested. The coffee is like a second religion here and is served with an elaborate coffee ceremony: a female selects raw green coffee beans, then thoroughly hand washes them, then roasts them on open fire. But there’s more – in the middle of the roasting, the beans are brought in front of the awaiting coffee drinkers to smell the aroma and approve the roasting. When roasted, the beans are hand ground in a pestle and mortar and then finally brewed in a clay pot that actually absorbs all the acidity (screw Sturbux for their disgusting burnt brown stew). The coffee is then poured into tiny cups from about a foot high. Finally, the coffee is always served with the burning incense at the center of the table. The Ethiopian coffee is not mild or weak, but is very smooth and rich. A variation is a half/half tea and coffee drink.
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