Day 3 - Part Three The Coffee Ceremony

We arrived at Dereje's house which is on the outskirts of Debre Behran. We were welcomed by his wife Mimi and their 4 children. Mimi's sister also lives with the family to help with the children and the chores since Mimi works as a social worker in town.

There is no electricity, so everything was done by candlelight. The ceremony began with the passing of a huge straw bowl of plain popcorn (I think it was actually popped maize). As we munched on the popcorn, Mimi began roasting the raw beans over the charcoal fire. After the beans were roasted, she ground them up with a mortar & pestle. The grounds were then put through a device that looks something like a coffee press. The result was a thick dark liquid that looked a little like mud. It was poured into small cups and mixed with two small spoons of raw sugar cane. The hostess serves each guest a cup. And I can say that without a doubt, it was absolutely the BEST coffee I've ever had - anywhere. But it was potent. That small cup kept me awake most of the night - but it was worth it!