Cultured Palate: International Dishes from Ethiopia

11. Coffee

If you’re being welcomed into an Ethiopian household for the first time, you may be able to witness a coffee ceremony, which is a traditional way of preparing coffee to honor a visiting guest. First, green coffee beans are roasted over an open flame; they are then ground with a mortar and pestle. The ground beans are then put into a traditional jebena pot, boiled until the coffee is steaming hot and fragrant, and passed through a sieve to remove the grounds. Once the coffee is prepared, the host – usually the household’s most senior woman – pours a stream of coffee from a height of at least a foot into tiny little cups, which are passed around the room. This is done three times. The coffee is extremely strong, but can be tempered with sugar or niter kibbeh for a fragrant, spicy brew.

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