Where it began
Arabica coffee has been consumed in Ethiopia for hundreds if not thousands of years. It’s likely that initially this was in the form of consuming wild coffee beans growing in the forest. Traditionally, roasted coffee beans were mixed with oils and fats to make food. In Oromia and Sidamo the dish is known as Buna Quala and is still served today, especially during or before traditional blessings.
Coffee as a drink
The most widely known legend of why coffee was first consumed as a drink is the story of Kaldi the goat herder. One day Kaldi noticed his goats becoming more active and excited after eating the coffee fruits. Kaldi then ate the fruit himself and brought some to the local priest. The priest was furious, thinking that they were an evil force, and threw them into the fire. After noticing a nice aroma coming from the fire, coffee as a drink was established as an intrinsic part of Ethiopian culture. It’s a nice story but we do not really know how or when coffee drinking began in Ethiopia. The fact that coffee drinking is such an important and central part of Ethiopian culture suggests that it has ancient roots.
Coffee in Ethiopia today
Today the Ethiopian coffee ceremony remains a central part of everyday life. The ceremony is done on a small table (rekebot) with a traditional coffee pot (jebena). The roasting is done using a charcoal burner (medija) and a small roasting pan (biret mitad). The ceremony is normally done by women and teenage girls. In any Ethiopian social setting, from a formal business meeting to a wedding, coffee will be consumed. In modern Addis Ababa, alongside the traditional ceremony, western style cafes are emerging. Ethiopia consumes over half of the coffee it produces and it remains the backbone of the economy.
