We know Indy digs coffee. He has his own Coffee Room, for goodness sake. So, when I asked the Blog group to explore the theme of CULTURE, Indy combined his love for coffee with his unquenchable curiosity and dove into the culture of Ethiopian Coffee.

Blog Advisor Zachik

By Junior Indy Behr

The idea of roasting and brewing the seeds of coffee plants was likely first thought of in the East African nation of Ethiopia. As a result, a fascinating coffee culture has developed over many centuries that is still present in Ethiopia today. Over 400 million pounds of coffee beans are harvested in Ethiopia annually, and the beverage created is enjoyed across the world.

The History of Ethiopian Coffee

Legend states that in 700 BCE, a man in Ethiopia one day approached his goats and found them to be doing something best described as dancing. He determined that this was a result of them consuming red fruits of the coffee arabica plants that are native to Africa. There is a divergence of opinion of what comes next in this legend, but most versions agree the man excitedly told a monk he had found a plant that would keep people awake. 

One version states the monk was thrilled and that he ate the beans to pray longer and sleep less. The other story is that the monk dismissed the goatherder’s findings and threw the beans into a fire, accidentally creating the first instance of roasted coffee beans, which the man then ground and then boiled, creating the first ever cup of coffee. Coffee then made its way around the world, first with travelers going to Yemen through the Red Sea with coffee on board (coffee also grew well in Yemen), and it spread throughout the Middle East. It then made its way into Europe and Asia and eventually traveled throughout the entire world.

The Growing of Ethiopian Coffee

Coffee in Ethiopia is relatively easy to grow as it is native to Ethiopia. It is actually the fifth largest coffee-producing country in the world, and there are over 15 million farmers who spend all of winter plucking the fruits from trees by hand. With over 390 million pounds of coffee being exported from this country annually, this nation has had a massive impact on the coffee industry. Coffee is a significant supporter of Ethiopia’s economy as a result of this. Coffee production in Ethiopia has been severely damaged by climate change and government crises in recent years. However, many coffee companies from around the world have established cooperatives to help fund small coffee farms in Ethiopia.

Yirgacheffe is a subregion in Sidamo, Ethiopia. The region grows a large amount of the coffee made in Ethiopia, and many people call its product one of the world’s best varieties of coffee. Its flavor is chocolatey with notes of fruit. Harrar is another large coffee-producing region. Its product is unique in that the coffee is dry processed as opposed to wet, and its flavor is earthy. This region also grows peaberry coffee, which is a rare species where each cherry of coffee has one bean instead of two. Though I have only had the opportunity to taste this variety once, I enjoyed it a lot. It was very light and almost tasted like tea.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremonies

Ethiopia’s culture is still very much influenced by coffee in the present day. The Ethiopian coffee ceremonies have been seen throughout the world as a way of bringing people together to have conversations over a cup of delicious coffee. The beans are roasted on an iron pan, and people often inhale and appreciate the smells that coffee gives off while it roasts. The coffee is then ground in a mortar before being put into a clay pot with very hot water to brew. 

Ethiopian coffee is served with things like sugar or salt, and frankincense is lit to create smoke that some believe rids the room of bad spirits. People are expected to drink at least three cups of coffee, as they believe one’s spirit transforms after three cups are enjoyed. However, there is no limit to how much coffee one can have until all of it has been consumed.