SDLC 110 Cultural Post #3

[Berhaun Fesshaye]

An important part of Ethiopian and Eritrean culture is coffee. Coffee in Amharic is buna. Most people drink coffee everyday, as is done in other cultures, but the process of making it is what is unique. First fresh coffee beans are used and are roasted then grinded. While the beans are being roasted, the person making it brings the pan around to let everyone smell. Then a special coffee pot called a jebena is used to brew the coffee. The coffee is served in very small cups and each person adds sugar to their own cup. The beans that are roasted are used three times and are diluted more each time.  The first batch of coffee is called awul, the second batch is called hulettenya, and the third batch is called sostenya. Coffee is drank at all times of the day, but from my experience, most drink it in the middle of the day after lunch. When you go to another person’s house, they always offer to make you coffee. However, I don’t like coffee, so I usually ask for tea, another popular drink. In restaurants, there is always coffee (and tea) on the menu and in Ethiopia there are people whose sole job is to make coffee all day in the restaurants using the traditional method. Coffee is not only used as a drink but as a way for people to spend time with one another.