About the cultural heritage

It all started when…

Kaldi the farmer fortuitously fed his goats some berries he found on a tree. The berries, some green and some red managed to keep the goats busy as they fed on what was thought to be fruits. Later, noticing the unprocessed seeds within the berries, Kaldi and his associated experimented with the seeds and noticed they would change form and make popping noises when added to fire. They also noted the soothing aroma produced when said seeds were exposed to fire - and so coffee was discovered.

The events described above are said to have happened in Kaffa (hence cafe / coffee) where coffee is said to have been born. The surrounding regions include Sidama, Harrar which produce some of Ethiopia’s finest coffee. Although Yirgacheffe is renowned for many top grade coffees.

Further, the original Geisha coffee plant (of Panama Geisha) is said to have originated from Ethiopia - the tree was brought from Africa to Panama and re-planed ultimately yielding what today is a very rare coffee.

In Ethiopia and Eritrea today, where coffee is part of the culture, a coffee ceremony is sacred, ritualistic and spiritual. There is incense burned, coffee hand manually roasted, and smoke & aromas produced.

Being invited to a coffee ceremony is a mark of respect. Especially if it is someone’s home. We have previously ran live events where the coffee ceremony has been replicated on a larger scale, to good reception. Infact, some of the underpinnings of this company come from the frustration of not being able to find the same taste from coffee ceremonies in coffee bought on the high street.

Coffee Ceremony Video

Coffee ceremonies, as mentioned above, occur daily and are revered. The etiquette firstly is to come humbly and take your seat facing the lady of the house who will be conducting the coffee ceremony.

The aim will be to encourage unity and attendees to converse, you will often be sat next to someone and will end up with conversation occurring within the group where everyone contributes.

Topics are discussed which most people find encouraging, supportive and unifying. The ceremonies can be edifying and attendees can come away feeling refreshed and enlightened, often wanting more. The coffee ceremonies are daily, so it is often the case that someone will attend one daily across several homes. Often the most respected of individuals will have people coming to their homes to conduct the coffee ceremonies.