The Coffee Ceremony
The piece of material culture that I have chosen to focus on for this particular project is Ethiopian coffee or buna, and its importance for the traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean coffee ceremony.
The coffee itself is not used to just make a quick cup of coffee to go, but is a key ingredient to the coffee ceremony. It is used for the purpose of gathering people; to bring people together. For some communities, it is used for spiritual beliefs and relations.
The coffee and the coffee ceremony represent the expressive culture since it is used in association with personal stories, mouth-to-mouth communication and social purposes. Also, it represents the expressive aspect when it comes to the small family settings in which the ceremony/ceremonies take place.
The coffee that Ethiopia produces is originated there, and is called Arabica coffee. This type of coffee can only be found wild in the forest, and plays an important role when is comes to genetic resources for the world coffee industry. The coffee beans that are used at the coffee ceremony are green beans. |
The coffee that is used at the coffee ceremony is produced in Ethiopia, by Ethiopians. They are dependent on their own coffee industry, which is the largest in Africa, and the 7th largest worldwide. Most of the coffee comes from Oromiya and the Southern Nations, and they have different sized districts that grow coffee trees. Ethiopia might be one of the largest coffee exporters worldwide, but they still consume approximately half of what they have produced.
The Ethiopians and the Eritreans are the original people who have been using the coffee for the ceremony. It has been a part of their tradition since ancient times, and is still current today. Having Eritreans as neighbors, it is almost impossible to avoid the smell of roasted coffee beans, which proves that the coffee ceremony is still alive. |
Steps of the coffee ceremony:
1) The green beans are washed in cold water
2) The beans are roasted on a pan over hot coal until they turn brown
3) The roasted beans are traditionally grinded with a mortar and a pestle
4) Water is boiled in a jebena, which is a black, long-necked pot
5) The grounded coffee is being added into the jebena once the water is boiling
6) The coffee is being removed from the heat once it is boiling
7) The coffee is poured in a small cup, called cini
Another important part of the coffee ceremony is when the roaster, who always is a female, brings the hot roasted beans up to each member of the ceremony for them to smell. Accepting it is a sign of respect and appreciation.
The coffee ceremony happens several times a day and can be both formal and casual, depending on setting and event.
1) The green beans are washed in cold water
2) The beans are roasted on a pan over hot coal until they turn brown
3) The roasted beans are traditionally grinded with a mortar and a pestle
4) Water is boiled in a jebena, which is a black, long-necked pot
5) The grounded coffee is being added into the jebena once the water is boiling
6) The coffee is being removed from the heat once it is boiling
7) The coffee is poured in a small cup, called cini
Another important part of the coffee ceremony is when the roaster, who always is a female, brings the hot roasted beans up to each member of the ceremony for them to smell. Accepting it is a sign of respect and appreciation.
The coffee ceremony happens several times a day and can be both formal and casual, depending on setting and event.
The symbols and markings that the coffee ceremony portrays are respect, appreciation, communication and social importance. It is not only a tradition; it is a lifestyle. The ceremony brings people together and creates communities, in which people can rely on each other. Personal stories, family problems, social issues, and knowledge sharing are being communicated over coffee. Furthermore, the way the coffee is being prepared, and served are very respected by those who attend the ceremony. A positive atmosphere is always important for communities, and the coffee ceremony provides that. |
Since the coffee ceremony has been a part of the Ethiopian and Eritrean culture for a long time, and since they consume 50% of their own production, they would not be able to live comfortably without it. It characterizes them, and is a part of who they are, I would say. However, the coffee ceremony is only performed by some people of African descent so people who are not familiar with this ceremony would be perfectly fine without it.
Works Cited
http://books.google.se/books?id=K2dVxAp3ulEC&pg=PP11&dq=ethiopian+coffee+ceremony&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cLS5U5y-DM_c4QSM14CoCw&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=ethiopian%20coffee%20ceremony&f=false
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0366.2007.00145.x/full
http://www.seedsofafrica.org/blog/traditional-coffee-ceremony
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0366.2007.00145.x/full
http://www.seedsofafrica.org/blog/traditional-coffee-ceremony