VOA新闻杂志2023--Ethiopian Coffee Stores Find Fans Far from Home

Ethiopian Coffee Stores Find Fans Far from Home

When Yared Markos moved to London 25 years ago, he did not see any Ethiopian coffee shops. Now, there are at least 12 around a city known for its tea drinkers.

In Ethiopia, coffee is usually drank at the end of each meal. Drinking coffee is a communal¹ activity for Markos. When he first immigrated² to London from Ethiopia 23 years ago, he did not understand the culture.

"They sell our coffee in Starbucks and other places, but they don't follow our traditions," said Markos, who has owned Kaffa Coffee since 2004. The shop is now in an East London neighborhood. It holds coffee ceremonies every weekend in the summer. It also holds cultural events and fills special orders.

"Tourists will walk by and smell the coffee and come in asking questions," Markos said. "It makes people want to learn more about the culture."

Among some of the most popular Ethiopian kinds of coffee are the flowery Yirgacheffe, fruity Limu and nutty Kochere.

An ancient tradition

Markos named Kaffa after the southwestern area in Ethiopia where coffee beans are believed to have been discovered about 1,200 years ago.

An old story says that an Ethiopian goat farmer once noticed his goats acting³ strangely one day after eating berries⁴ from a tree. He tried them himself and felt energized⁵ and awake. The farmer took the berries to a religious worker, a monk⁶, who threw them in a fire, calling them the work of the devil⁷.

A strong smell was released⁹, so the monks¹⁰ saved the burnt coffee, putting it in a container with hot water. When they drank the liquid, they realized it helped them stay awake during nightly prayers.

Coffee contains a lot of caffeine, a substance that has the effect of keeping people awake and feeling energetic.

Over the years, coffee-making in Ethiopia has changed into ceremonies led by the women in households.

"The social value of the coffee ceremony is one of our biggest traditions," Markos said.

How the coffee is made

Fresh coffee "beans" are heated in a pot for a few minutes before being passed around, so everyone can breathe its smell. The beans are then ground down to a powder and placed inside an Ethiopian coffee pot, traditionally made of clay, on top of a stove.

While the coffee is being made, frankincense, a substance from a tree, is burned to enhance¹¹ the taste. Once the water comes to a boil several times, the coffee is placed in a small cup called a sini.

International coffee day

Almost 10 years ago, the International Coffee Organization, with 77 member countries, officially marked October 1 as International Coffee Day. This year, the group is calling for a safe and healthy working environment in places involved in the coffee trade.

The London Coffee Festival started in 2011. It also provides a chance for coffee lovers¹² to come together. Anteneh Mulu is one of the owners of The Ethiopian Coffee Company in central London. He said the festival has helped spread Ethiopian coffee to a new community.

Mulu and his business partner Polly Hamilton opened their store in 2013. Like Kaffa Coffee, they import directly from Ethiopia, where beans are named for the area where they were grown.

As Ethiopia's traditions spread outside the country, both Markos and Mulu hope more people will be pushed to value their community over concerns about drinking caffeine in their coffee.

Words in This Story

tourist — n. someone who travels to a place for pleasure and not for work

berry¹³ –n. a small kind of fruit

the devil –n. the most powerful evil⁸ spirit in many religions

enhance — v. to improve or increase the effect of something

caffeine — n. a chemical compound¹⁴ made by a number of plants including the coffee and tea plants that affects the nervous system of animals

 

pot –n. a container for cooking

1 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

2 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 berries   

n.浆果( berry的名词复数 )；（葡萄，番茄等）浆果；干果仁；干种子

参考例句：

• Birds feed on nuts and berries in the winter. 鸟类靠坚果和浆果过冬。
• We went here and there looking for berries. 我们四处寻找浆果。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

6 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

7 devil   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• It is easier to raise the devil than to lay him.召鬼容易驱鬼难。
• Susie,you're a determined little devil.苏茜，你真是个坚决的小家伙。

8 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

9 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

10 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 enhance   

vt.提高（强度、力量、数量等），增加（进）

参考例句：

• BBC backing for the scheme will enhance its credibility.英国广播公司对这一计划的支持将提高其可信度。
• Good secretarial skills should enhance your chances of getting a job.出色的秘书工作技能会增加你找工作的机会。

12 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

13 berry   

n.浆果(如草莓等)

参考例句：

• This kind of jam is made of berry.这种果酱是由浆果做的。
• Every berry and cherry carried in the ferry is very merry.渡船里载运的每一颗草莓和樱桃都很快乐。

14 compound   

n.化合物；大院；adj.化合的；vt.加重；使化合

参考例句：

• Air is a mixture,not a compound of gases.空气是气体的混合物，不是化合物。
• How many households in the compound?院内有几家住户？