The coffee ceremony is a ritualised form of making, serving and drinking coffee. The coffee ceremony is known as an important staple to Ethiopian culture. Coffee is usually offered while visiting friends and family. These are the most beautiful festive moments centered around the coffee ceremony.
The green coffee bean is first fire roasted over hot coals in a brazier. Everyone is given an opportunity to to sample the aromatic smoke of the roasted beans by wafting the amazing coffee aromas towards them. This is followed by the grinding of the beans, traditionally in a wooden mortar and pestle. The coffee grounds are put into a special vessel and boiled. The boiling pot (jebena) is made of clay pottery and has a spherical base, a neck and pouring spout, and a handle where the neck connects with the base. This process takes longer than that of the Turkish coffee as the grounds are allowed time to settle for a smoother finish. To pour the coffee from the Jebena, a filter made from horsehair or other material is placed in the spout of the boiling pot to prevent grounds from escaping and changing the flavor of the coffee.
The host pours the coffee for all participants by moving the tilted boiling pot over a tray with small, handleless cups until each cup is full. Some of the coffee will inevitably miss the cup but this is done to prevent the coffee grounds from contaminating the brew. One extra cup is usually poured each time.