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It is green, it is a circle and it has
coffee in the name. But contrary to popular
belief, the logo in question is not that of the
Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co., but one
of much more humble origins. Just like the
modest origins of Arabica coffee, Kaldi’s
Coffee House has been quick to seize on
the economic improvement seen in Ethiopia
in the last five years. And in the bustling
streets of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa,
the green circle logo is found everywhere as
Ethiopians from all walks of life are openly
embracing modern coffee shop culture.
“This is one of the best coffee shops
in Addis today so it’s always full,” said Musie
Tesfaye, an office worker enjoying a coffee
together with two friends on a late Thursday
afternoon in the financial district of the
capital. Tesfaye, like most Ethiopians, has
been drinking coffee since he was a young well as to a number of major provincial “Since coffee was first discovered,
boy. Despite the Western influence by the cities. While Ethiopians have been quick it’s been a cultural practice in Ethiopia to
use of Italian-based espresso machines in to embrace the modern concept of coffee use coffee as a daily drink where the family
Kaldi’s Coffee house, he likes the coffee. culture, there is no denying, however, that gets together. You see [this custom taking
“I first had coffee when I was about traditional buna is still the preferred choice place in] almost all of the 80 tribes in the
eight years old and I have been drinking it of coffee by far for the average Ethiopian. country,” said Jemal Ahmed, chief execu-
every day since I was 14 years old. I like Outside the capital, coffee can be tive of the MIDROC Group, which owns
the strong coffee and the way they make it bought as cheap as USD $0.10 per cup in Horizon Plantations. Horizon is the largest
here resembles that pure coffee flavor you traditional village settings in rural Ethiopia. single-coffee estate group in Ethiopia with
get with the traditional buna in Ethiopia,” But the preparation couldn’t be further apart the six-farm Limmu estate complex spread
he said, referring to the traditional word from the modern concept. Prepared in what out through the central Limmu, Jimma and
for coffee in Amharic, the official language is officially acknowledged as the “Ethiopian Oromia regions, in addition to the Bebeka
spoken in Ethiopia. Coffee Ceremony,” it is a craft only mastered estate in southern Kaffa province.
by women, dressed in traditional embroi- “The unique ceremony of brewing
dered white clothing, who will take up to the coffee has also become a tradition for
an hour to prepare and brew the coffee. people in order to enjoy the process of
Like in a scene from a movie played roasting. Brewing it by the very people who
in slow motion, a batch of raw green coffee consume it makes it the sole beverage used
beans are gently roasted on a flat iron-pan to bring together family including the wives
over a low charcoal fire in a process lasting and children, neighbors or visitors,” Ahmed
15 to 20 minutes. As the air starts to fill with told Tea & Coffee Trade Journal during a
the smell of roasted coffee, the woman in visit to Ethiopia.
charge of the ceremony elegantly starts From the busy daily life in the capital
grounding the beans in a small wooden mor- to the remote southern Kaffa, coffee will
tar before carefully scoping all the ground follow visitors at every mile of the trip,
coffee into the traditional black clay coffee every part of the visit. Driving along the East
pot. The pot, or jebena as the Ethiopians say, African Great Rift Valley–which starting in
is then placed directly in the coal and put to northern Ethiopia cuts right through Kenya,
brew while all along incense is burned and Uganda and Tanzania–coffee is found across
people sit around the scene on small stools the road. From street vendors to small coffee
The coffee at Kaldi’s Coffee House, enjoying the whole event. shops assembled in a typical straw huts, to
an espresso blend from the southern Kaffa “Ethiopian households normally pre- coffee ceremonies performed in elaborate
region, is bold with a powerful body, yet pare and consume coffee two or three times settings in stylishly decorated restaurants
balanced acidity and a silky smooth flavor. a day, and the Ethiopian coffee ceremony to simple settings directly on the ground,
According to legend, it was a goat herder is a traditional way to welcome guests to coffee is everywhere. Here, in the heart of
named Kaldi who discovered coffee after one’s house,” said the U.S. Department of the Kaffa coffee lands, coffee is still found
observing how his goats became unusually Agriculture in a 2012 report on Ethiopia. In growing in the wild up to 15 meters tall and
bouncy when eating the red cherries of its latest report for the 2014-15 marketing boys as young as eight years old are still
the green bushes in a forests area of Kaffa year, the USDA estimates current consump- found herding cows and goats.
sometime around the 6th century. Ethiopi- tion at a little above 3.1 million bags. Private “I like coffee, especially in the morn-
ans are proud of their legend about Kaldi’s industry officials, however, said the real ing when it’s cold, it’s really nice to get the
dancing goats and Kaldi is frequently used consumption might be as high as 4.5 million hot coffee,” said 11-year-old Matius Baro,
in the name of coffee businesses. bags because a significant part of the local who herds cows rather than goats but oth-
The first Kaldi’s Coffee shop was production is never registered but kept at erwise resembles what any coffee fanatic
opened in 2006 and has already expanded home by the small holder farmers who also happily would accept as the perfect modern
to over 20 branches across the capital as consume it outside the official market. replica of Kaldi.
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