Today I'm grateful to Ethiopia for being the first place to brew coffee .
Thank you . I needed it today . For almost the entire 7 months I was in Vancouver I'd completely lost my desire for coffee. In fact , the smell turned me right off . As soon as I got home it came back , and I love it again . It's good to be back .
Ethiopia's foundational connection to coffee is built on both rich legend and thousands of years of traditional preparation: [1, 2, 3]
- The Legend of Kaldi: According to the most famous story, a 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder noticed his flock becoming unusually energetic after eating red berries from a specific bush. [1, 2, 3]
- The Monks' Brew: Kaldi took the berries to local monks, who roasted them in a fire and boiled them in water, creating the first coffee beverage to stay awake during nightly prayers. [1]
- The Traditional Ceremony: Long before modern espresso, Ethiopians perfected the ancient Ethiopian Coffee Ceremonies and Middle Eastern Rituals. Women perform this ritual by roasting green beans in a pan, crushing them, and brewing the grounds in a traditional clay pot called a Jebna. [1, 2]
