ETHIOPIAN COFFEE POT

What is a Jebena?

An Ethipian coffee pot is called a jebena. Jebena (Amharic: ጀበና, Arabic: جبنة) is a traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean coffee pot made of pottery. It is also used in Sudan, and the coffee itself is called buna.

The jebena holds a significant place in Ethiopian and Eritrean culture, and while it’s one thing to talk about Ethiopian coffee and how wonderful it tastes, the traditional coffee pot and ceremony that are used with it are something entirely different.

A jebena is typically handmade from clay, and they are usually black but often decorated with African paint. Often, the jebena is passed down through generations in the family.

The jebena is used to brew coffee in the Ethiopian coffee ceremony called a buna. Here, women serve coffee to their guests in small clay pots or ceramic pots, usually also handmade, along with small snacks like peanuts, popcorn, and himbasha.

We’ll also explain how this differs from a traditional coffee pot and help you learn more about the traditions that go into Ethiopian coffee.

What is an Ethiopian coffee pot called?

The Ethiopian coffee pot is called a jebena. The jebena is an iconic symbol of Ethiopian coffee culture. It is a clay pot with a long neck and narrow spout that is used to brew coffee in the traditional Ethiopian way.

It is considered a household staple in Ethiopia, and the decorations and designs on it are often used to represent social status.

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How do you use a Jebena?

To brew coffee in the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, you first need to heat water on the stove. Place your Ethiopian coffee beans (you can use Harrar, Sidamo, or Yirgacheffe) into the jebena and then place it on top of the boiling water. The brewed coffee will drip down into the teapot.

Historical Roots
The jebena has a long and varied history. It is believed to have originated in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The jebena is made of clay or metal and is often decorated with beautiful designs. It originated in the year 1200 and is still in use today.

In many families, the jebena is passed down from generation to generation and becomes a family heirloom.

Fun Fact
There is a small restaurant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that is shaped in the image of an Ethiopian jebena figure. While there are many restaurants in Addis Ababa that serve traditional Ethiopian coffee, this is the only one that looks like this.

What is it made of?

Jebenas are usually made of clay, but they can also be made of other materials, such as metal or glass. It typically has a neck and a pouring spout, and then a handle where the neck connects to the base. Ethiopian jebenas usually have a spout as described above, but the ones used in Eritrea do not.

They are medium-sized, and some regional variants will also have straw lids and an extra spout for pouring the coffee. Some will also have different-shaped bases.

How is a jebena used?

Usually, when the coffee boils up through the neck of the jebena, it is poured in and out of another container, which cools it. Then it can be poured back into the jebena until it bubbles up.

In order to pour the coffee from the jebena, a filter is usually made out of horsehair or similar material and placed in the spout of the jebena to keep the coffee grounds from falling out as the liquid is poured into coffee cups.

Traditionally, in Ethiopia, a small pottery cup called a sini or finjal is used to contain the coffee poured from the jebena. These are usually handmade and often come in sets that look like tea sets. These pottery sets used for coffee and tea are also often passed down through generations of Ethiopian families.

In Eritrea, the jebena has only one spout at the top, used both for filling with water and grinds and for pouring out the coffee. It is done in basically the same way, but without the extra pouring spout they use in Ethiopia.

How Do You Season a Jebena?

There is no one right way to season a jebena. Some people say that you should never use soap to clean it, but rather scrub it with a brush and water. Others recommend using a light coating of vegetable oil before each use.

Cultural roots of the jebena

The jebena holds a very significant place in the culture of Ethiopia as well as Eritrean culture. Most families have only one, and as described above, it is passed down from generation to generation. It is seen as more than a tool; it is an actual artifact because it represents the shared cultural experiences and status in both Ethiopian and Eritrean cultures.

In Ethiopia, brewing coffee is often linked to womanhood. The young woman in the family will always be the one to initiate the process of this very social event. Jebena is not an “instant coffee” experience and in the time it takes to prepare the beans, brew, and prepare the coffee, the rest of the family will gather, socialize, and enjoy the time together.

Traditional jebena usage

The jebena is usually brewed three times a day: in the morning, at noon, and at night. To make it in the traditional way, the water and coffee grounds are boiled on a medium fire made from hot coals. This fire is typically made in a fire pit in the ground, although some families may have a set up indoors for this.

Once the coffee is finished brewing, it is poured into the clay pots or small cups and enjoyed with the snacks, as mentioned above. Small cups are used so that there can be three small servings of coffee enjoyed, allowing those drinking to enjoy the different states of brewing, which create different flavors.

This is all part of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Let’s look at that in more detail.

What is the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony?

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a ritual that has been practiced for centuries. It is a way to honor coffee and the people who grow it. The ceremony can take many different forms but always involves brewing coffee in a jebena. It is a part of many special gatherings and can take place at a different time of day, depending on the purpose of the gathering and the intent.

The ceremony is usually performed in three phases: roasting the coffee, brewing it, and lastly, cupping the coffee.

Awel: the first word in Amharic for “coffee.”. It is also the name of the month in which the ceremony takes place

Kahleye: This is the coffee pot (jebena) that is used to brew the coffee. It has a long neck and narrow spout

Bereka: This is the coffee cup that is used to drink the coffee. It is also called a “tasse.”

While the coffee is brewing, the young woman performing the ceremony will sometimes light incense to create a relaxing atmosphere and as part of the ritual of buna.

In a traditional ceremony, no milk, butter, or sugar is added to the coffee while it is brewing or while it is served from the coffee pot. The coffee is then served to people sitting on the ground, and the host will prepare a tray of cups to deliver to the individuals taking part in the ceremony.

Sometimes, extras are then brought out with the snacks to be added to an individual cup of coffee, if the user prefers. In most cases, cups of Ethiopian coffee are consumed black, so the flavors can be truly appreciated unaltered.

An Ethiopian traditional coffee ceremony is a cultural practice, and while the act of preparing Ethiopian coffee has been Westernized, it is typically frowned upon to copy this traditional ceremony unless you have been invited into the culture by someone who is from it. You can still enjoy an Ethiopian coffee cup without the ritual attached to it, which is considered sacred by many.

Conclusions

As you can see, there are many things to know about the jebena and how it is used in traditional coffee ceremonies in the region. It’s not easy to just purchase your own Ethiopian coffee pot since they are handmade family heirlooms, but if you go to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant, you may be able to get some made-in-one from there.

And of course, if you visit Ethiopia, Africa, it’s quite common in restaurants and coffee shops there, as well as in private family homes. You can, however, buy ceramic teapots and Ethiopian-brand coffee to enjoy at your own home. It may not be made in an Ethiopian traditional coffee maker but you can use a pour-over method at home and get a similar effect.

Black coffee is the best way to enjoy traditional Ethiopian jebena, but Westernized versions do have people adding creamers, sugars, and other things for taste. The jebena is an important part of Ethiopian culture, but at its very heart is the Ethiopian coffee bean.

From the coffee plant to the green coffee beans to the clay coffee pot, from the Jebena’s spout to your first cup to enjoy, it is an entire experience. This is no ordinary coffee, and the relevant experience is just as important as the coffee itself. If you ever have the chance to visit a traditional Ethiopian coffee place, you will be able to experience this firsthand.

We hope we have answered all your questions about the Jebena. If you have any others, please let us know in the comments section below.