Coffee Coffee All Around But...

Not a drop to drink. Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee and legend has it that Kaldi the shepherd first discovered the effects of the illusive drink in the ancient province of Kaffa when his goats became strangely hyperactive after feasting on the red cherry. Nevertheless, despite its heritage and reputation as one of the world’s finest producers, the coffee in Ethiopia leaves a lot to be desired.

There is a good reason for this which is that it is illegal to sell any coffee that is above a certain quality domestically as these coffees are reserved for the export market. Believe it or not there is actually a black market for high quality coffees..can u imagine, guy in a trench coat muttering under his breath 'Limu 2 anyone, Sidamo fully washed half a pound a kilo, good price, good price.'

For those of you who know anything about espresso making, you would be shocked to see what happens here. They pack a portafilter (espresso handle) full to the brim with coffee and let the shot pour for a good 3/4 mins. When they have filled a jug of 'espresso' they then use this as the base for their drinks. When a coffee is ordered they simply pour a bit of the sludge into a milk jug and, use the steam wand to heat it up add some burnt milk and hey presto.
Having said this, I did manage to find one or two decent spots and Tamoca (in the pics) is a real local gem. It is apparently the oldest coffee house in Ethiopia and has the same feel as an authentic Italian bar with people drinking only espressos and macchiato whilst perching against raised wooden benches. At least the Italians did some good over here.

If you do end up visiting Ethiopia, all I have to say is don't expect anything spectacular, this way you will save the disappointment I had to endure..believe me it was painful. I cannot wait to get back to London to sample some decent Ethiopian coffee!

---

---