Coffee Ceremony at the Simien Mountains

Coffee ceremony in Ethiopia is an important part of their social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a sign of friendship or respect and is an excellent example of Ethiopian hospitality. An Ethiopian family invited us to a coffee ceremony at the Simien Mountains. The lady in the picture washed a handful of coffee beans on a heated pan. When the coffee beans turned black, they were ground with a long handled mortar. The ground coffee was slowly stirred into the black coffee pot (made out of clay). We had four cups each! It is impolite to retire until you have had at least three cups, as the third round is considered to confer a blessing. We had so much coffee that none of us could sleep that night!