Ethiopian Coffee Beans Introduction - Ethiopian Coffee Culture - Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia: The Heartland of Coffee Culture

Ethiopia is one of the largest coffee producers in the world. However, its exports account for less than half of what it grows. In other words, it consumes more than half of what it produces. For a population of nearly 100 million, that amounts to about 500 million pounds of coffee, which is particularly impressive considering that nearly half of the population is under 14 years old. (By comparison, Kenya consumes only 3% of its production, while Colombia exports over 86% of its coffee crop.)

In Ethiopia, coffee is not just the national beverage but also a staple food. "Buna dabo naw" is a popular expression: "Coffee is our bread."

Coffee is woven into the unique fabric of this country, an unparalleled part of Ethiopian life. "It's a significant part of the culture," writes social anthropologist Alula Pankhurst, "it's a symbol of sociality, a metaphor for social relationships, a carrier of spiritual blessings." It's ubiquitous, seemingly everywhere.

Nowhere is this more true than in the Kafa region of the southwest, where Arabica grows in the mountainous cloud forests.

Coffee has long been central to Kafa culture, where it maintains unparalleled importance on numerous levels today. "They consider coffee as their identity," says Mesfin Tekle, a local leading expert on Kafa and its coffee forests.

Some Ethiopians might add a little sugar (or honey) or salt, or even a piece of butter, but one version of the drink is brewed in a spherical earthenware coffee pot called a jebena over charcoal, poured into the same small handleless cups, and served to everyone.

Drinking buna remains a communal rather than individual activity. The common phrase for gathering, for conversation, is "buna tetu," which literally means "drink coffee."

However, coffee is also an economic crop. According to Mesfin, 85% of the Kafa people depend directly or indirectly on coffee for their livelihood, including those living in the Kafa swamp lowlands. In the highlands where Arabica grows naturally, the figure is close to 100%.

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Coffee is extremely important to Ethiopians, who spend several hours each day drinking coffee. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is the most important social relationship.

Each ceremony lasts 2-3 hours, and it's common for families to enjoy these ceremonies 2-3 times daily.

This is a whole-family activity, with even children participating in serving coffee to the elderly.

Guests are often invited, and conversation can range from politics to local community matters and more.

The coffee is freshly roasted in a pan, ground by hand using tools similar to a mortar and pestle, and slowly brewed in traditional earthenware by boiling over an open flame.

The coffee is poured slowly to avoid spilling on the ground.

Many people drink coffee with a spoonful of sugar, but never with milk. More water is added to the pot and boiled again 2 more times, with each brew becoming weaker.

Ethiopian Coffee System

Ethiopia is the fifth largest coffee producer in the world and the most productive in Africa.

Ethiopians consume about half of their national coffee, exporting only 3.5 million bags out of the 6.5 million produced. Coffee is extremely important to these people.

Most of the coffee produced is by small-scale farmers. Farmers can sell coffee through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, established by the government in 2008.

The ECX enables small farmers to sell coffee through standardized procedures.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing parameters:

V60/90°C/1:15/Time two minutes

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, also providing online shop services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

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