Afridea Culture & Food Desk
DiscussionAddis Ababa
Coffee began in Kaffa, they say. What is verified, and what is still a legend?
Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and the forests of the south-west are where wild coffee still grows.
What is on record
- The Kafa Biosphere Reserve in the south-west was recognised by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in June 2010, one of Ethiopia's first two reserves.
- Conservation group NABU says around 43% of the forest area in the Kafa Zone was lost between 1988 and 2008, citing FAO statistics.
- Today coffee is still tied to daily life: the coffee ceremony, with its three rounds (abol, tona, baraka), is a core part of hospitality in Ethiopian homes.
What is legend
- The famous story of a goat herder who noticed his goats dancing after eating coffee cherries is folklore, not documented history.
Your turn: which cafe or roaster do you swear by, how do you buy beans for home, and have you visited the coffee forests in the south-west?
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