Kenji Tanaka
Japan
In the forests of Kaffa, where the coffee plant was first discovered, a grandmother invited us into her home for a ceremony that has been performed the same way for a thousand years.
“"Coffee is how we say welcome." Our guide translated it, and I didn't speak for the rest of the ceremony.”
The word "coffee" comes from Kaffa. Not from Brazil, not from Vietnam, not from the espresso bars of Milan — from this corner of southwestern Ethiopia, where the plant still grows wild in the forest, the way it did before any of us existed.
Our driver stopped at a homestead on the edge of the Kaffa forest. An older woman came to the door, and without asking who we were or what we wanted, she began the ceremony. There was no menu, no price, no negotiation. There was only an invitation that had been given the same way for a thousand years.
The three rounds
The ceremony unfolds in three rounds
- Abol — the first round, a strong and sweet cup reserved for the guest of honour
- Tona — the second round, served as the neighbourhood gathers
- Baraka — the third round, when "blessings" are shared and the house is full
She roasted the green beans over charcoal in a long-handled pan, shaking it by feel until the beans crackled the precise number of times she expected. The smoke was waved toward us — a blessing. She ground the beans with a pestle the size of my forearm and brewed the coffee in a black clay jebena with a neck like a swan. I had three cups. I have never tasted anything remotely as good.
The ceremony is a daily ritual of hospitality in Ethiopia: three rounds, fresh-roasted beans, and a guest who is never, ever allowed to leave hungry.
I drink three cups of coffee every morning. I had never thought about where it came from. Now I buy Ethiopian single-origin coffee exclusively. I think about her every morning.
Before, During & After
Before
I drink three cups of coffee every morning. I had never thought about where it came from.
During
She roasted the beans over charcoal. Waved the smoke toward us as a blessing.
After
I now buy Ethiopian single-origin coffee exclusively. I think about her every morning.
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