Sunday, August 11, 2013

Coffee break, East Africa style

I am a bit of a coffee drinker. True to the stereotype, I started drinking the stuff in college. It wasnt too long before it truly came to have a place of importance in my life! I like all kinds. The fancy kinds with the long names and 1,000 calories. The regular kind. the decaf kind. over ice. hot. blended. latte. cappucino. americano. it doesnt matter; i'll take it all. Over the years, it has increased in importance, unfortunately. Now it is an integral part of my morning routine. Evening routine too, actually. Last thing before I go to bed, I grind my beans, measure out my water, and get it all ready to go. When I stumble out of bed in the morning, in a ridiculously bad mood (yes, every morning, unfortunately) I just hit the button and we're good to go. As it brews, I use my BBC app to find out what transpired around the world while I slept, and in a minute I'm ready to head to the couch for my quiet time, with my gigantic mug of coffee. (The mug that, when Patrick gave me, I gave him a bit of an eye roll. Seriously, who is ever going to use this enormous, heavy mug? Its totally impractical. You can barely lift it, when its full! Well, yes, I use the enormous mug. Every. single. day. When it's dirty because I didnt run the dishwasher and I have to use another one, I am sad. Because I have to interrupt my quiet time more often to go refill my mug. But i digress.)

I do not care I get my coffee as long as it's strong. If I'm having a special breakfast, I wont eat it without coffee. If its sweet like pancakes or waffles, I will add milk but not sugar, but most of the time, I will. If I'm having dessert, I often make coffee. (Am i kind of like an old person???) My sweet husband got me an fancy coffee machine a little while ago, so I can make lattes myself. I crave lattes like he craves Dr. Pepper 10. (yes, even high maintenance people such as ourselves can be missionaries ;-) So often in the afternoon, especially when its cold, I will make my own latte, and save myself the ridiculous $4 they would charge me at the coffeeshop. All this is part of my elaborate coffee rituals. When I go away, I have been known to bring the small cans of Starbucks double shots with me, just in case the place. (Can I get an amen from somebody,  anybody, please, who is feeling me right now? Or, in the words of my good friend Beth Moore, "Does anybody know what I'm talking about?" ;-)

The other day, I broadened my horizons in a special way, and experienced the Ethiopian coffee ceremony. (It did not involve a big green sign and the words skinny, grande, and extra shot. Or pumpkin scone. Or any scone.) Some of my neighbors invited us over. We hung out on the back deck/porch/stairwell. I had noticed all the extension cords before, but wasn't sure what they were for. 
The coffee maker begins by roasting her own beans, in a small skillet. (My friend was using a small heating element here. Not sure what would be used in the absence of electricity.)

Incense is very popular, just as it was in Senegal. She had a few different kinds, as well as some potpourri looking things she put directly on these coals. 

I really got a kick out of the coffee grinder, because everything else seemed very traditional. I am sure that in Ethiopia, at least in the rural areas, it is done with a mortar and pestle type deal. But who would do it by hand if you dont have to, right? :-)

next, the freshly roasted, ground beans are put directly into this beautiful little pot. (Every Ethiopian house I have been into is sporting one of these. And I have to tell you, I may get one myself. It worked really well!)

After the appropriate amount of time, filled with conversation (limited, in this particular case!) and snacks the gracious hostess provides, such as popcorn, the wonderful smelling coffee is ready. It is a good thing I like really strong coffee; as you may have guessed, this stuff is STRONG! But she did add a few heaping teaspoons of sugar to the tiny little cup. Its really more like a shot of espresso. Or Arabic coffee. 

Just like Senegal, there are 3 cups of coffee to be had, and each round of the coffee ceremony has its own name. This allows ample time for the real purpose: visiting! There is a small blue plastic tub on the right, with a scoop. She rinsed out the cups in between each round. 

I am definitely out of practice with my cross-cultural experiences these days. The past few months have been a good reminder for me. If you are pursuing a chance to step outside of your regular context, stay in touch. I will share what I've been (re)learning! 

Now, if only I could track down a country that has a 3 step ice cream ceremony. . . 

No comments:

Post a Comment