The first thing you need to know is that the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony is by no means a quick ceremony. On the contrary, the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony can often last for hours. This is because this ceremony is very important to the Ethiopians, and because this ceremony is not just a fancy way of serving already brewed Ethiopian Coffee. This ceremony involves brewing coffee from start to finish including the cleaning and roasting of the beans. While many rituals have been trivialized in the Western world, in Ethiopia they take great pride in their traditions. 

 

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony takes place after a meal has been finished and is usually performed three times a day—in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Grass is cut and the fresh grass is spread around on the ground. This is done “to bring in the freshness and fragrance of nature.” There is also an incense burner that holds smoking etan (gum). 

 

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony itself is usually performed by a woman dressed in traditional Ethiopian costume. This costume consists of a white dress whose borders have been interwoven with colorful threads. She starts off by arranging all of the ceremonial pieces on the fresh grass that has been brought in. She then washes a handful of coffee beans in a heated pan and then stirs and shakes the bean husks away. As they are roasted in the heated pan they will turn black and shiny and the aromatic oil will start to be coaxed out of them. As the smoke rises from the pan it is a sign of politeness to draw that smoke toward you, inhale it as deeply as you can and then express your great pleasure at the beautiful aroma. You can express this pleasure by saying “betaim tiru no”, which means “lovely.” 

 

Once the beans are ready, the woman officiating the ceremony grinds the beans with a mortar and pestle and then the coffee grounds are stirred into a black clay coffee pot which in local speak is called a “jebena.” This coffee pot is round at the bottom and has a straw lid.   When the coffee is ready to be served it is served in tiny china cups. There will be at least three spoonfuls of sugar added. 

 

In order to not be thought rude, you must drink at least three cups of the freshly brewed coffee because each of the three cups its own name. The first cup is called the “abol”, the second cup is called the “huletegna” and the third is called “berekha” and is thought to contain a blessing.