History of coffee, a peasant legend
Discovered in the province of Kaffa, in south-west Ethiopia, coffee comes from the endemic Coffea arabica plant. It is also grown further north in the Welega region. Coffee from Harar and Dila, to the east, is reputed to be among the best in the world. Legend has it that Kaldi, a shepherd, discovered the beverage in the 9th century. He went in search of lost sheep while grazing near a monastery, and found them particularly excited. Noticing that they had just eaten the red fruit of a shrub, he reported the fact to a monk. They both decided to infuse the berries and found that sleep did not come that night. The monk, seeking to repeat the experience, dried the berries by a fire, but forgot about them. Another removed the charred seeds, crushed them and brewed an infusion: the first coffee was born of this accidental roasting.
Exporting coffee to Europe during the Renaissance
It was popularized by Arab merchants, who first brought the plant to the Arabian Peninsula (present-day Yemen) in the 13th century, before consuming it in Damascus, Cairo and Constantinople (now Istanbul). It wasn't until the Renaissance that it was exported to Venice by the Turks from the port of Moka in Yemen. The first European coffee shop, Caffè Florian, opened in Piazza San Marco in Venice in 1683, and is still in business today. It eventually became a popular beverage throughout Europe. Popular with Muslims but long banned by the Orthodox Church, coffee didn't really take off in Ethiopia until the 19th century, under the reign of Menelik II, who recognized the product's economic interest in the face of European infatuation. Today, coffee drinking is an integral part of Ethiopian culture. The immutable ritual of preparing it, a symbol of hospitality, is repeated many times a day in public and private places, and no one would dream of refusing to enjoy it, whatever the time of day.
Plantations in the Kaffa region
The road to Jimma, further south from Addis Ababa, crosses Guragé country before reaching the Kaffa region, the historic cradle of coffee cultivation. Visit the huge coffee plantations around Mizan Teferi. The huge Bebeka coffee plantation, which starts 11 km from the town in the west of the country, covers an area of over 6,500 ha. Thousands of farm workers flock here every day, living in small villages in the heart of the plantation. Every evening, the foremen weigh the day's harvest, which totals some 1,500 t each year. The plantation experiments with different types of coffee from every continent, as well as spices and fruit. The natural world of this vast plantation is of the utmost beauty, with the coffee plants protected from the sun by a canopy of immense fig, acacia and podocarpus trees, from which a large production of honey continues to be collected. The area is also a birdwatcher's paradise.
The coffee ceremony
Much more than a simple beverage, coffee in Ethiopia is a veritable art of living. The ceremony that accompanies its preparation is the subject of an immutable ritual, always performed by women. A symbol of hospitality, its traditional preparation is the subject of a veritable ceremony during which the green beans are roasted and then infused several times. The offering of a coffee remains the irreplaceable sign of welcome to all new visitors. After fresh herbs have been scattered on the floor, the "officiant" sits down on a small stool to engage in a preparation that can last more than half an hour. Around her are all the utensils required for the ceremony: a brazier, an incense burner, a coffee pot, a mortar and a raised tray lined with small, handleless cups. The green coffee beans, rinsed several times, are first roasted over the embers. Before being crushed and infused in a jug of boiling water, the steaming beans are presented to guests, the olfactory pleasure preceding that of tasting. Popcorn is distributed as a pastime, while another brazier, amply supplied with incense and a mixture of aromatic plants, diffuses a smoke laden with subtle odors that are customarily directed towards the guests. Finally, hot coffee is served, sometimes accompanied by a small aromatic plant or popcorn. The same grind is used for three successive preparations, making the beverage lighter and lighter. Those who like their coffee without sugar should be careful to ask before serving, as Ethiopians are in the habit of over-sweetening tea and coffee.
Addis Ababa's Café Tomoca, an institution
If you find many coffee brands with attractive packaging to take home as gifts in the tourist stores of Addis Ababa, one brand must catch your eye: Tomoca. But it's essential to visit the brand's head office to appreciate its charm. While there are several cafés with this name, the one at the top of Churchill Avenue and on the corner of Wavel Street is the most emblematic. With its 1950s Italian café style, this little store with its yellowed Balzac-quoting walls exudes wonderful aromas. It offers the capital's largest selection of coffees, selected and roasted on site. The best, according to the specialists. The macchiato is a must! Depending on your taste, you can choose from a range of beans offering a lovely gradation of shades. Then, equipped with a coloured token indicating the origin of the coffee, you wait for the buna beverage to be prepared, which you enjoy in a small glass leaning against the old counter. You can also buy packets of coffee as souvenirs. Make sure you get the right address, as there's another Tomoca café on Churchill Avenue, less than 500 m from the historic site. For more information, visit www.tomocacoffee.com.
