You’d Never Guess Which Country is the Home of Coffee

Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

When people think of coffee, they probably think of Colombia, and maybe Italy because of espresso. But, the truth of the matter is that coffee was first harvested and brewed in Ethiopia! That comes as a surprise to many people, but once you visit, you’ll see that coffee is deeply embedded in the culture of this East African country. 

The arabica plant from which coffee is from was first found and cultivated in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia, which is how the word coffee came about. Scholars say that coffee was first cultivated back in the 9th century, which is pretty amazing. 

Just as people in Japan have tea ceremonies, people in Ethiopia have coffee ceremonies!  The ceremony is very special and is meant to engage all five of your senses during the whole time. The ceremony consists of roasting, grinding, and brewing the coffee, and more. The ceremony is not only to appreciate the coffee more but to bring people together as a social gathering. 

Usually, you have to be personally invited to a coffee ceremony, but in the capital of Addis Ababa, there are some places where you can experience a more informal ceremony at places like Alem Bunna or other coffee shops. But even if you just grab a cup of joe to go, you’ll be amazed by how incredible the coffee is, and you’ll never look back!