"Why don't American's like to have coffee with their friends?"
"We do!"
"No, no! You Americans always get your coffee to go and carry it around in sippy cups like toddlers! That's not how you're supposed to enjoy coffee!"
In this particular part of the Horn of
Africa, coffee is more than just a hot drink or a caffeine jolt. It is an
essential part of the culture, as you can tell by the previous conversation I had
with a taxi driver. If you ask around, there are many stories about how coffee
was first discovered here; most storytellers share some version of a shepherd who
noticed his goats acting differently after eating coffee plants. I have not quite
figured out how coffee plants and hyperactive goats have led to traditional
coffee ceremonies, but somehow, it has become embedded in the culture over time.
The traditional coffee ceremony entails many
steps! There are no shortcuts, or 30-60 second brewing pods, suggesting that
would probably be an insult. I had the privilege of spending an afternoon
roasting, brewing, and enjoying coffee with Mia, my language helper. (Our
language helpers teach us more than just language and are often the gateway for
us to learn more about the culture and our neighborhood-but more on that
later!)
Some might say the ceremony begins with lining
the floor of the room, house, or patio with grass -but the women know it starts
at the market! You must see the quality of coffee beans you want to purchase.
You want to get fresh beans that are not too dry and shriveled, and when you
pick up a handful, you want them to all be relatively the same size. Most
sellers know the quality of the beans they are selling, and there are lots of
buying options! If you can only afford the most miniature, cheapest beans, then
buy just enough for one pot of coffee for now because even that is better than
no coffee!
Once you've purchased your beans, it is
time to sort out all the stones from the green coffee beans and wash them
clean. Once the beans are clean, they're poured into a traditional roasting pan
with holes in the bottom and set atop some hot charcoal or an electric burner.
The beans turn from green to reddish-brown and brown to dark brownish-black.
You want the beans to all roast evenly by shaking them around often. Once all
the beans are relatively the same shade and have started to release their
natural oils, you pull them off the fire, sprinkle with some water, so the
beans steam, and everyone around knows you are roasting coffee. Now the beans
are ready to be ground or pounded into powder. Traditionally this is done with
a wooden or metal mortar and pestle. Once smoothed, the powder is poured into a
clay coffee pot called a "jebena" and put on hot coals to boil
and steep. The coffee is served hot and strong, with lots of sugar in a small
ceramic cup. At the same time the coffee is brewing, the server sets up the cups
on small saucers and scoops a few spoonfuls of sugar into each cup. Once the
coffee has steeped and is ready to pour, each cup is filled to the brim! Coffee
can be served with small cookies or freshly popped popcorn. The grounds are usually
brewed three times, getting a little weaker with each cup, the third cup
bearing a blessing to those who drink it. The joy of the
coffee ceremony is in the time it takes to roast, brew and serve three cups of
coffee is time well spent visiting with friends.