I heart Ethiopian coffee

After our visit to the David Kaye Gallery the other night, Diane and I went to Addis Ababa for an Ethiopian dinner. Since this is obviously a family-run establishment that is very popular in the neighbourhood (full on a Wednesday night), I feel guilty about saying bad things about it, but Lalibela really is miles better in quality, quantity, and price. Nevertheless, I thought that the coffee we had to finish the meal was excellent.


When you order coffee at an Ethiopian restaurant, they perform a serving ceremony for you. First, they roast the beans in a little tray and shake them around in front of you. Then, they brew the coffee and serve it in a gourd-shaped clay pot along with a burning sprig of Frankincense. You drink the coffee from little espresso-sized cups with a bit of white sugar.


I'm actually not a coffee drinker at all. I just wanted to see the ceremony and I thought that I would have a mouthful at the most, but I loved it. I drank three cups and wished there was more. It was delicious. This could be the start of a brand new addiction.


On previous visits to Ethiopian restaurants, when I was rubber-necking to see other people's coffee ceremonies, I thought that they served the coffee with popcorn. Does anyone know?