The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony: Abol, Tona and Baraka
Quick answer
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a hospitality ritual in which green beans are roasted in a pan, ground by hand and brewed in a clay jebena. Coffee is served in three rounds (abol, tona and baraka), and the third is considered a blessing. A ceremony can last over an hour and is a daily practice in many households.
The coffee ceremony is the centrepiece of Ethiopian hospitality. Ethiopian green beans are roasted, ground by hand, and brewed in a jebena over three rounds — abol, tona, and baraka.
The Three Rounds
Each round carries cultural significance, with the third round (baraka) considered a blessing. The ceremony can last over an hour and is a daily ritual in many Ethiopian households, continuing a tradition that goes back to the origins of coffee itself.