History of Abyssinia

A one of the oldest countries in the world, it is surrounded with high mountains that rise up into the sky. Because of the high plateau and mountains, Abyssinia remained undisturbed by the rest of the world for centuries. Abyssinia was once called the hidden empire and the cradle of civilization. Abyssinians (or Ethiopians) lived by writing their own books from fermented vegetable ink on a cow, goat or sheepskin and by growing their own herbs and spices medicine shrubs and coffee.

History of Coffee

It is said that in the province of Kaffa, a shepherd saw the cherry beans of the coffee being eaten by the goats. He noticed that the goats were getting rowdy so he started to sample it as well. To his amazement, the shepherd became frisky and rowdy himself. The monks of the church saw what it did to the shepherd and they sampled it and became energetic for the midnight prayer.

The monks were the first to start drinking coffee. They started by eating the cherry beans. After a few years, they began drying and roasting the coffee leaves to brew and drinking it. The leaves are called quti. In the later days Arabian merchants who were traveling through Ethiopia saw the new drink and also began brewing and drinking Ethiopian coffee. A Spanish merchant introduced the unique drink of Ethiopia to India and he called it coffee. In Ethiopia, the coffee is called bunna and the leaves are called kutie. Ethiopians also drink the silver shell of the coffee, which is called keshier. It is also exported to Arabian countries. The rest of the world discards this silver shell.

Traditional Coffee Ceremony

Ethiopian hostesses often perform the traditional Ethiopian coffee for their guests. It is a time for friends and family to share their thoughts, feelings and spirit. It is often customary to enjoy this ceremony and its organic open-air roasted Ethiopian coffee after a meal. Guests recline on pillows while inhaling the rich aroma of frankincense.