Coffee ceremony of Ethiopia and Eritrea is a core cultural custom.

Brewing

The coffee is brewed by first roasting the green coffee beans over an open flame in a pan. This is followed by grinding the beans, traditionally in a wooden mortar and pestle. The coffee grounds are then put into a unique vessel that contains boiling water and will be left on an open flame for a couple of minutes until it is well mixed with the hot water. After grinding, the coffee is put through a sieve several times. The boiling pot (jebena) is usually made of pottery and has a spherical base, a neck and pouring spout, and a handle where the neck connects with the base. The jebena also has a straw lid.

Serving

The host pours the coffee for all participants by moving the tilted boiling pot over a tray with small, handleless cups. The grounds are brewed three times: the first round of coffee is called awel in Tigrinya, the second kale’i and the third baraka (‘to be blessed’). The coffee ceremony may also include burning of various traditional incense, snacks and popcorn.