(based on 1 ratings)

The service of coffee in Ethiopia is often designated as a ceremony and is one that is always performed by women. The whole beans are first roasted over a wood fire, then cooled and ground. The grounds are placed in a round clay vessel called a jebena, an example of which are pictured to the right. Sugar and water are also placed in the jebena, and the mixture is heated, often over a wood fire. In the meantime, cups are warmed and a myrrh incense called itan is burned. The coffee is then served hot, sweet and fresh on the tongue. More water is added to the same coffee grounds to brew a second and then traditionally a third cup. The ceremony typically lasts long into the afternoon or evening. We offer two varieties of Ethiopian coffee. Ethiopian Sidamo comes from the largest and most fertile of the three coffee-growing regions of this country. It has a balanced acidity and nice body. Yirgacheffe is grown in the same region of Ethiopia but has a very winy flavor. This "wild" coffee is often blended with heavier coffees, like Colombian and Java, to impart its remarkable flavor notes. Varieties sold separately.