COFFEE POT - EARTHENWARE

This Jebena coffee pot was gifted to Tesfay Werata by his grandmother when he returned to Ethiopia to visit family in 2005. Tesfay Werata who grew up in the town of Maichew, which is located in the State of Tigray in Ehiopia. Tesfay's mother ran a coffee producing busines, a cafe and a small pop up shop in the town. In c1997 Tesfay's mother passed away. Around this time Tesfay and his three siblings migrated to Melbourne, Australia.
In 2005 Tesfay returned to Tigray to visit family. It was during this time that he was given this family coffee pot. While there he met Maarenet who was from Perth, a year later they were married and living in Perth. Tesfay worked as a taxi driver for eight years before spending two years looking after their four children while Maarenet finished her studies and worked. In 2018 he purchased his own coffee truck and two years later opened M & T Cafe in Camillo. Coffe plays a big part in Tesfay and his families life. It links his to his Ethiopian heritage, his family and memories of his mother.
The coffee pot belonged to Tesfay's grandmother who used it to make coffee in the traditional Ethiopian way for her family. Maaranet continued the tradition in Perth, using the pot mainly on Sundays to make coffee in the traditional way for the family and guests. It was used until it cracked and needed to be replaced.
Traditionally, the jabena was as part of the 15th century Jabena "Coffee" Buna "Bean" ceremony, which is a sensually rich and lengthy Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The coffee ceremony begins with the host, always female, spreading an assortment of fresh grasses and flowers on the floor and table. An incense burner, typically filled with frankincense or sandalwood, is lit, filling the air with an intoxicating aroma.
Next, raw coffee beans are washed before being roasted thoroughly in a skillet over an open charcoal fire. This continues until the beans are black and charred. Often the host will encourage guests to smell the strong beans, holding the pan in front of their eager noses.
The beans are vigorously ground with a pestle and mortar, before being added to the jebena, a special pot containing boiling water. The jebena, is placed back over the charcoal in order to brew.
Once the coffee is brewed, the host carefully pours it into small, handleless cups. The cups are filled right to the brim, but not a drop over, and drinking without spilling is an art in itself. The coffee is bitter, thick and potent.
Using the same beans, the process is then repeated twice more. In between cups, more water is added to replenish the drink. This continues until the ceremony is complete; the whole ritual can take well over an hour.
There are a few optional extras that sometimes accompany the ritual. Usually, a few heaping spoons of sugar are added to sweeten the coffee and a small plate of popcorn or ambasha is served as a side snack.
Besides its beautiful presentation, the ceremony has a strong social and cultural element to it. The three cups each have a distinctive role in the coffee ritual. Arbol, the first, is the strongest. Cup number two, or tona, is milder after the second brewing. The final cup, berekha, holds the most importance as it signifies a blessing. In some of Ethiopias more traditional households, particularly in rural areas, the ceremony takes place at least three times a day.
First and foremost, though, the ceremony is an act of hospitality. For new acquaintances, the ceremony is a welcoming form of respect. Among friends and family, it’s a way of catching up or reconnecting.