The pride and heritage of all Ethiopians remains on the exhilarating beverage which the whole world loves so much…Coffee. It is now almost a known fact that coffee originated in Ethiopia. Local legend has it that a goat herd named Kaldi first discovered the effects of the fruit by observing how excited his goats grew after consuming it. After trying some himself, he then offered it to monks who started using coffee to stay awake during long nightly vigils.

Today, Ethiopian Arabica Coffee has gotten the international recognition it deserves and is exported all over the world.The coffee ceremony is an integral piece of Ethiopian culture, which has been around for a very long time indeed. Having some coffee in the Ethiopian style is the farthest thing from grabbing a quick cup at Starbucks or any other café but rather an elaborate ritual of sorts which begins with roasting the beans over a coal brazier and offering a sniff of the smoke from the roasting beans to gathered guests after which the beans are ground up and the powder boiled in a special black pot called a “Jebena”, which has a round base from which protrudes a small pout for pouringand a long neck for adding the water and the powdered beans.

It is not unusual for those gathered for a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony to drink two or three cups of the stimulating beverage in one sitting. The first cup is the most potent while the second and third are more diluted. You can usually find a traditional coffee ceremony-taking place wherever your travels take you be it at a hotel, exhibitions or even at the airport as long as you keep an eye out for the burning of incense and the distinctive white cups arranged neatly in front of an attending lady.