Ethiopian Traditional Coffee Ceremony

[Mister Moo]

Having stopped at Ben's Chili Bowl (U Street, Washington DC) for a Half-Smoke and some chili-cheese-fries last Sunday I found myself wondering if I could find a serious pot of Turkish/Arabi/Greek coffee in the neighborhood. I like making Turkish coffee but have to admit I'm more Turkish-poser than Turk. I have only had professionally prepared Turkish style coffee at one restaurant (San Marco district, JAX). No doubt I need more exposure to learn the tricks.

Well, across from Ben's chili Bowl are some Ethiopian restaurants. Since coffee is acknowledged to have first appeared in Ethiopia I reason, "These birds should know how to pour a good traditional ibrik/pot" if anyone can. As the family waited in line for seating at Ben's, I nipped into the Ethio-joint and asked about some traditional coffee. Blank stare and then the waitress' eyes (perhaps the two most gorgeous eyes I have ever witnessed) land on the Bunn coffeemaker and the espresso machine behind the bar. "No, no... I meant ETHIOPIAN coffee." She looks back at me and and says, "Yes. We use Ethiopian coffee." Communication failure - my bad. "I mean, yes - I understand you use Ethiopian coffee. I am seeking coffee prepared in the traditional way." Ah hah. Light goes on - somebody is definitely home. So she mumbles something and calls another waitress over and they have a discussion in the mother-tongue and then both look at me, puzzled, and ask, "Why would you want that?"

This allows me to launch into a "I love coffee," and "Ethiopia is the mother of coffee," and, therefore, "YOU know how to prepare coffee according to the ways of the old times." and I want to see this done properly, please, so I may do it also in the old way. They have another talk and agree that, if I return in in a while they will make traditional coffee. Well, great. I have to talk my ass off and all but beg to get two people to boil water and run an ibrik for five minutes but, yes, thanks very much, I'll be back.

And I returned with Mrs. Moo and the Moo-ette an hour later and thus begins, if you can believe this, THEE Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. It doesn't involve an ibrik (dumb me). It doesn't involve spices in coffee. Here's what it is: and hour and 15-minutes of fulltime attention to preparing coffee enough for two demi-servings each for three persons. Six tiny cups - 75-minutes.

Sparing you all the details we DID NOT witness (we got the abbreviated Coffee Ceremony) I will get to the essense of it:

1. green beans are carefully handwashed and dried;
2. they are roasted in a special long-handled metal pot over fire;
3. the sizzling pot, when appropriate, is carried around the table so all may breath of the smoke;
4. frankinsence is burned at the table;
5. the beans are hand-ground with traditional tool on a wooden plate/bowly thing - this is not a mortar and pestle deal - it's a different motion of rolling/crushing - not smashing;
6. ground beans and water goes into a fired/decorated clay jebena (jay-bee-nuh) and boiled;
7. the convex-bottomed jebena is placed, at an angle, on a straw "donut" so the grounds can settle;
8. the jebena is held, and the coffee is poured, according to a specific method and form. Only a woman makes/serves the coffee. Fingers holding the jebena are straight. Posture matters. The pour is a painfully slow stream from a foot above the demis - nothing is done to disrupt the grounds at the bottom of the jebena that would cause them to reach the spout and, hence, the cups;
9. the pour is continuous once it begins; no stopping from one cup to the next;
10. the server adds sugar to the cups and stirs for you;
11. you drink;
12. it is just lovely, from beginning to end;

The server-ladies said they rarely do this at the restaurant - maybe a few times/year. They learn the coffee ceremony from their mothers and would only go thru the process at home for a husband, loved one, special guest or, in the case of some older women, purely for the sake of staying in touch with their heritage and, finally, to enjoy coffee prepared in the only way worthy of "real" coffee. The bill was $15 for something I thought was precious and priceless.

There are further adornments we missed (pillows, mats, traditional clothing, etc) that go with the full-monte ceremony. My family was touched the two women at the restaurant made the time to share this with us. They did it to share an appreciation of something special to them. Coffee as cultural fulcrum and centerpiece. If you ever have the chance, don't miss it.

One cellphone picture: coffee being roasted (right) as jebena (center) warms on the stove.