Venture Forth: Ethiopian Coffee

The coffee bean is so small and yet commands such a presence in our world. From casual drinkers to full-blown coffee snobs, it is perhaps our world's drink of choice for having a conversation or for a personal quiet time alone with a newspaper, book, or journal.

I didn't drink coffee growing up - probably because Mom and Dad didn't drink it. I always loved the smell but hated the taste of coffee through high school and college. However, in graduate school I figured out that one could obtain a serious jolt of energy and if enough additives were placed with the coffee, it tasted good too! (I like a little bit of coffee with my cream and sugar) I survived/stayed awake through graduate school, medical school, residency, and fellowship in large part due to coffee. I hate being a wimp and I really wish I was man enough to drink it black - but I'm not! I am a "coffee +' drinker (aka sissy)...until now!

Coffee is a foundational part of Ethiopian life, both economically and culturally. Living in the the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopians drink coffee at every possible opportunity given to them. And the Ethiopians drink it with alot of sugar!!! If the people in the birthplace of coffee drink "coffee +", I feel way better about myself! :)

Freshly roasted coffee beans on our counter! Awesome!

'Coffee ceremonies' are part of the culture here and are performed by some families multiple times per day! It is a time where people gather - family, friends, co-workers, strangers - while coffee is roasted, ground, brewed and served to all in attendance. Beautiful coffee pots/kettles and coffee cups are used to serve the best coffee you've ever tasted in your life! Such ceremonies are woven into the natural fabric of life for the people here such that life happens around the coffee kettle. Ethiopians don't pop in a set of headphones with a cup of coffee off in a corner. They sit around, talk, and enjoy one another...along with 2,3,4 cups! Sounds like a great idea!