In the same way that the icy world has various terms for snow, and the desert world has countless words for sand, Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, has many names for this beloved beverage.
Across Ethiopia, the names for coffee reflect its deep cultural importance and regional variations:
– Buna: The most common name for coffee, used across much of the country.
– Buno: Used by the Kaffa people, the birthplace of coffee itself.
– Qahwa: A term used by the Gurage ethnic group, similar to the Arabic word for coffee, a reflection of Ethiopia’s connections to the broader coffee world.
In Ethiopia, coffee is much more than a drink; it’s an integral part of daily life, heavily consumed domestically. Ethiopians even have distinct terms for the different stages of coffee:
– Mitata Buna: Drinking coffee, symbolizing the ritual and enjoyment of a freshly brewed cup.
– Ture Buna: Referring to green coffee beans, which are still raw, capturing the beginning of the coffee journey before it’s roasted and brewed.
Through these varied names, we can see how Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, celebrates the diversity and significance of coffee in every part of society.
Discover more from Coffee Odysseys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
