Having stopped at Ben's Chili Bowl (U Street, Washington DC) for a Half-Smoke and some chili-cheese-fries last Sunday I found myself wondering if I could find a serious pot of Turkish/Arabi/Greek coffee in the neighborhood. I like making Turkish coffee but have to admit I'm more Turkish-poser than Turk. I have only had professionally prepared Turkish style coffee at one restaurant (San Marco district, JAX). No doubt I need more exposure to learn the tricks.

Well, across from Ben's chili Bowl are some Ethiopian restaurants. Since coffee is acknowledged to have first appeared in Ethiopia I reason, "These birds should know how to pour a good traditional ibrik/pot" if anyone can. As the family waited in line for seating at Ben's, I nipped into the Ethio-joint and asked about some traditional coffee. Blank stare and then the waitress' eyes (perhaps the two most gorgeous eyes I have ever witnessed) land on the Bunn coffeemaker and the espresso machine behind the bar. "No, no... I meant ETHIOPIAN coffee." She looks back at me and and says, "Yes. We use Ethiopian coffee." Communication failure - my bad. "I mean, yes - I understand you use Ethiopian coffee. I am seeking coffee prepared in the traditional way." Ah hah. Light goes on - somebody is definitely home. So she mumbles something and calls another waitress over and they have a discussion in the mother-tongue and then both look at me, puzzled, and ask, "Why would you want that?"

This allows me to launch into a "I love coffee," and "Ethiopia is the mother of coffee," and, therefore, "YOU know how to prepare coffee according to the ways of the old times." and I want to see this done properly, please, so I may do it also in the old way. They have another talk and agree that, if I return in in a while they will make traditional coffee. Well, great. I have to talk my ass off and all but beg to get two people to boil water and run an ibrik for five minutes but, yes, thanks very much, I'll be back.

And I returned with Mrs. Moo and the Moo-ette an hour later and thus begins, if you can believe this, THEE Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. It doesn't involve an ibrik (dumb me). It doesn't involve spices in coffee. Here's what it is: and hour and 15-minutes of fulltime attention to preparing coffee enough for two demi-servings each for three persons. Six tiny cups - 75-minutes.

Sparing you all the details we DID NOT witness (we got the abbreviated Coffee Ceremony) I will get to the essense of it:

1. green beans are carefully handwashed and dried;
2. they are roasted in a special long-handled metal pot over fire;
3. the sizzling pot, when appropriate, is carried around the table so all may breath of the smoke;
4. frankinsence is burned at the table;
5. the beans are hand-ground with traditional tool on a wooden plate/bowly thing - this is not a mortar and pestle deal - it's a different motion of rolling/crushing - not smashing;
6. ground beans and water goes into a fired/decorated clay jebena (jay-bee-nuh) and boiled;
7. the convex-bottomed jebena is placed, at an angle, on a straw "donut" so the grounds can settle;
8. the jebena is held, and the coffee is poured, according to a specific method and form. Only a woman makes/serves the coffee. Fingers holding the jebena are straight. Posture matters. The pour is a painfully slow stream from a foot above the demis - nothing is done to disrupt the grounds at the bottom of the jebena that would cause them to reach the spout and, hence, the cups;
9. the pour is continuous once it begins; no stopping from one cup to the next;
10. the server adds sugar to the cups and stirs for you;
11. you drink;
12. it is just lovely, from beginning to end;

The server-ladies said they rarely do this at the restaurant - maybe a few times/year. They learn the coffee ceremony from their mothers and would only go thru the process at home for a husband, loved one, special guest or, in the case of some older women, purely for the sake of staying in touch with their heritage and, finally, to enjoy coffee prepared in the only way worthy of "real" coffee. The bill was $15 for something I thought was precious and priceless.

There are further adornments we missed (pillows, mats, traditional clothing, etc) that go with the full-monte ceremony. My family was touched the two women at the restaurant made the time to share this with us. They did it to share an appreciation of something special to them. Coffee as cultural fulcrum and centerpiece. If you ever have the chance, don't miss it.

One cellphone picture: coffee being roasted (right) as jebena (center) warms on the stove.

Image
[Reply]

What a neat experience - thanks for sharing!!
[Reply]

Very cool! Now you need to hit the Kenyan place, and the Brazilian, and the Sumatran... or you could just go back to the Ethiopians and say "Again!" And soon you'd have your own show on the National Geographic channel. Education is a beautiful thing! :-)
[Reply]

Dan, among your many talents and learned skills is your supreme ambassadorship to the Family: Rubiaceae and Genus: Coffea. Thank you for representing, carry-on. :-)

PS Your photo, cellphone or otherwise evokes the sounds and smells of your experience.
[Reply]

postscript: In the course of events I mentioned it was unusual (for me) to have unrested, freshly roasted coffee. This brought raised eyebrows and a look of skeptical disbelief. Neither of the ladies could imagine why anyone would intentionally allow coffee to rest before grinding and drinking. The servers, I had to assume, expressed a local attitude of, "It is stale 10-minutes after you roast it."

Yes, Rico - oddly enough the cellphone saved the patina of the moment better than good glass and a flash. While most people in this neighborhood know the aroma of roasting coffee, I wish I could add a wave of frankincense to punctuate the post. :-)
[Reply]

My father in law and his wife spent 3 weeks in Ethiopia this winter and got the first hand coffee ceremony. They had slowed down from their USA get er done ways and loved spending an hour to get a cup of coffee, even my father in law who is a tea drinker got into it. When they described it to me I pulled out a pan and roasted up some ethiopian beans in it and roasted away.

Nice post Dan, thank you.
[Reply]

Sounds like an awesome experience sir. Thanks for sharing with the neophytes!
[Reply]

Thanks for kind comments on one of my typically long and esoteric coffee posts. I honor you for wading thru it. This must be the same group that read "War & Peace" at the beach last summer. Na zdrovyeh! :-)
[Reply]

No, no, it wasn't that long, well, I guess it was the less than 10 pictures that made it seem short. :-)

You put the knowledge to the story I got from my in-laws. I will find out if they took pics of the ceremony and lend a hand to lengthening this thread into a band width nightmare. :-)
[Reply]

Hi! Long time no drinky coffee! Those ladies may not realize it but they took the time to do something really great for the one person I know who would appreciate it the most.
Glad you had the experience.
Susan:-)
[Reply]

Image

Hi Mrs. Fungirl! It was more surprise than ceremony. The photo gives you a pretty good idea about the long slow pour, incense, straw matting and traditional costume. I missed a few of the trappings but certainly appreciated learning about a whole new coffee thingie. Next time I'll call a day in advance for the full blown deal.

Regards to Mr. Fungirl. Or however that works.
[Reply]

Cool picture!
[Reply]