Coffee Drinkers Rejoice !
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." - T.S. Eliot
"When you drink a cup of coffee, ideas march in like an army." - Balzac
Dark, strong, and typically organic. Coffee in Ethiopia is a staple beverage and widely consumed by the locals all day, whether in fancy pastry shops or at make-shift roadside stands. I love the fact that even the smallest, dingiest cafe, restaurant or hole in the wall will have an espresso machine, piping out fresh coffee and steamed milk. I guess I shouldn't be surprise, after all, the coffee plant did originally come from this country. Most of the beans are still grown wild and harvested in the forest of south-western Ethiopia. In fact, the word "coffee", derives from the coffee-producing region of Kaffa. Ethiopia even has a coffee ritual. The slow roasting of coffee beans over an open fire, the grinding of the beans on a mortar and then heating of the water and coffee grinds in a traditional vase-like kettle. Believe it or not, the internet cafe I'm in now is making traditional coffee, complete with the smoke of the roasting coffee beans over a little charcoal fire. Ah... fresh coffee.
I am in the capital city of Addis Abba. Somehow the occasional wandering goat herd or sack-laden donkey fit in perfectly with the plush hotels, zipping mini-bus vans, shanty shacks, UN trucks, businessmen talking on cell phones, fume-sputtering trucks and children begging or selling tissue and candy. Addis is full of contrasts. Left over Italian Fascist buildings can be on the same street as a communist monument, orthodox church, mosque and shopping center. Addis really has no city center and is simply just spread out over several hills but it's not a bad place to just rest a bit. It does have a few good museums and some excellent Italian restaurants. The Italians may not have done much here when they occupied Ethiopia in the 1930's and early 1940's, but they left behind some great food. Just about everywhere, you can order and happily munch on decent pizza, pasta, and cakes and pastries for about two to three bucks. Let's just say, I haven't been holding back. The traditional Ethiopian fare is pretty good and tend to be minched or cut up meats and vegetable in some sauce. Usually, you grab the meat and vegetables and mop up the sauce with a piece of "Injera," a slightly-sour flat round crepe made from teff, a type of cereal. I haven't really acquired the taste for Injera but the fresh bread is excellent. Off to the east tomorrow to the ancient Muslim town of Hara, a long two day ride on the bus.
"When you drink a cup of coffee, ideas march in like an army." - Balzac
Dark, strong, and typically organic. Coffee in Ethiopia is a staple beverage and widely consumed by the locals all day, whether in fancy pastry shops or at make-shift roadside stands. I love the fact that even the smallest, dingiest cafe, restaurant or hole in the wall will have an espresso machine, piping out fresh coffee and steamed milk. I guess I shouldn't be surprise, after all, the coffee plant did originally come from this country. Most of the beans are still grown wild and harvested in the forest of south-western Ethiopia. In fact, the word "coffee", derives from the coffee-producing region of Kaffa. Ethiopia even has a coffee ritual. The slow roasting of coffee beans over an open fire, the grinding of the beans on a mortar and then heating of the water and coffee grinds in a traditional vase-like kettle. Believe it or not, the internet cafe I'm in now is making traditional coffee, complete with the smoke of the roasting coffee beans over a little charcoal fire. Ah... fresh coffee.
I am in the capital city of Addis Abba. Somehow the occasional wandering goat herd or sack-laden donkey fit in perfectly with the plush hotels, zipping mini-bus vans, shanty shacks, UN trucks, businessmen talking on cell phones, fume-sputtering trucks and children begging or selling tissue and candy. Addis is full of contrasts. Left over Italian Fascist buildings can be on the same street as a communist monument, orthodox church, mosque and shopping center. Addis really has no city center and is simply just spread out over several hills but it's not a bad place to just rest a bit. It does have a few good museums and some excellent Italian restaurants. The Italians may not have done much here when they occupied Ethiopia in the 1930's and early 1940's, but they left behind some great food. Just about everywhere, you can order and happily munch on decent pizza, pasta, and cakes and pastries for about two to three bucks. Let's just say, I haven't been holding back. The traditional Ethiopian fare is pretty good and tend to be minched or cut up meats and vegetable in some sauce. Usually, you grab the meat and vegetables and mop up the sauce with a piece of "Injera," a slightly-sour flat round crepe made from teff, a type of cereal. I haven't really acquired the taste for Injera but the fresh bread is excellent. Off to the east tomorrow to the ancient Muslim town of Hara, a long two day ride on the bus.
posted by Louis at 3:37 PM
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