An Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Oromian

Gathering to share a cup of coffee is a time-honored tradition. It is the stuff of first dates: “Want to get a coffee sometime?” The beverage of choice on a stakeout. A road trip savior: “Let’s stop for a coffee and to stretch our legs.” The hero of late-night study groups. And, of course, the morning beverage of choice by many, with Americans drinking over 400 million cups of coffee every single day.   

The Story of How Coffee Was Discovered

There is an Ethiopian/Yemeni legend about the origins of coffee. A goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats were eating the leaves and red fruit from a bush-like tree (or tree-like bush) in the foothills. Afterward, the goats had bursts of energy. In some versions, the goats would start dancing around. In others, they were so wired that they didn’t sleep at night. Kaldi tried some of the cherry-like fruit himself and was equally energized and sleepless. He took beans to the abbot at his local monastery, who decided to mash the “cherries” into a pulp and soak it in water to make a drink. Said drink helped the monks stay awake for late-night prayer. It wasn’t quite modern coffee yet, since the drink contained the coffee cherry pulp, and no bean roasting or brewing was involved. The story may be little more than a legend, but next time you savor a cup of coffee, thank the goats.

Goat herders in Ethiopia and Yemen “discovered” coffee after observing goats eating plants that gave them bursts of energy. Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Gathering around the Jebena

Ethiopia is the cradle of the coffee plant — the place where it all started. So, it only makes sense to start our coffee pilgrimage with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at Oromian Restaurant. Sitting on stools around a traditional grass mat, Bullallee Eshete, one of the family owners, performed the coffee ceremony and talked to us about the importance of coffee and her memories of her mother making coffee at home. “My mother would make coffee three or four times a day,” says Eshete. “The neighbors would come over, or we would go to the neighbors for coffee.” The day would not start without coffee. Considering that an Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes around an hour, multiplied by several times a day, it is a lifestyle rather than a craving. Imagine pausing life several times a day to gather with family, friends and neighbors to enjoy buna (coffee) and talk.

Ethiopian Coffee
Experience the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Oromian. Photo by Adam Finkle.

An Olfactory Excess

Eshete explained that every coffee service is a sensory experience. Before anything else, she heated a mix of resin incense in a little bowl by the coffee tray. It was heady but not overpowering. And no buna ceremony is complete without it. In an Ethiopian home, you start by roasting green coffee beans in a metal pan over coals–or, in the case of a restaurant, over a small burner. The smell of the tasting coffee beans mixed with the incense and a puff of smoke drew other people from around the restaurant to see what was happening. It was irresistible–a spontaneous communal gathering.

While Eshete roasted the beans, she proudly declared that you won’t find fresher coffee anywhere. She showed us all the stages–from the first crack of the beans to the dark roast with a sheen of oil that gives the buna its flavor. As we talked, we gathered around a faux grass mat, set with a small wooden tray in the middle bearing saucers, demitasse cups, spoons, a bowl of sugar and a wooden circle to hold the Jebena or Ethiopian coffee pot. A woven grass bowl of hot popcorn came from the kitchen, and the aroma mixed with the roasting coffee and incense. Once the beans are roasted, they are ground fresh with a mortar and pestle, but we fast-forwarded through this step with the convenience of a coffee grinder.

Ethiopian Coffee
During the coffee ceremony a selection of small bites are served in woven-grass baskets. Photo by Adam Finkle.

The coffee grounds are then put in the Jebena with boiling water. The Jebena is a pear-shaped pottery carafe with a long, narrow spout. It looks like the original model for a pour-over kettle. Once the coffee is brewed, Eshete explains, “You set the pot at an angle [on the coffee service tray in the circle holder] and let it rest.” This is so that the grounds settle to the bottom and don’t end up on the cup. This is extra important later since there is more than one pour.

Ethiopian coffee
Bullallee Eshete and her family own the Ethiopian restaurant, Oromian, here in Salt Lake City. Photo by Adam Finkle.

Eshete poured out the coffee for everyone gathered around. Some took sugar. Some did not. Eshete likes her coffee with a bit of milk. In Ethiopia, salt or even butter might show up as possible add-ins. The coffee is dark-roasted and leaves an almost syrupy coat on the tongue. It skews more fruity than nutty. As we sipped, more incense was added to the crucible, scenting the air with florals, which waft from the air to the nose, and from the nose to the palate. We tossed back handfuls of popcorn, and popcorn plus coffee was a revelation.

Usually, the coffee goes through at least three rounds of boiling water added to the pot. The first round is called “awel” and is the most decadent and flavorful pour. The second and third pours are known as tona and baraka, “to be blessed.” Each pour gets progressively weaker while the conversation brews deeper.

If you visit Oromian, remember that the coffee ceremony takes time and your full attention, so if the restaurant is busy, they might need more time to accommodate an entire ritual. But you will always be able to get a cup of freshly roasted and brewed coffee. If you want the whole experience, call ahead and book a time. Be sure to go with a group, as the ceremony is designed to serve 4-8 people. While you wait, order a Sambusa, a fired pastry pocket filled with meat or lentils. Or get an Ultimate Platter to share, with dollops of Ethiopian stews, vegetables and meat served on a communal dish.

If You Go: 

Oromian, 1522 S. State St., Salt Lake City 
(801) 978-9673
oromianrestaurant.com


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Lydia Martinez
Lydia Martinezhttp://www.saltlakemgazine.com
Lydia Martinez is a freelance food, travel, and culture writer. She has written for Salt Lake Magazine, Suitcase Foodist, and Utah Stories. She is a reluctantly stationary nomad who mostly travels to eat great food. She is a sucker for anything made with lots of butter and has been known to stay in bed until someone brings her coffee. Do you have food news? Send tips to lydia@saltlakemagazine.com
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