Coffee Culture in Israel: Ethiopian Blends
"We relate to it as something to wake us up. But in Ethiopia, it’s not. It’s something that connects people. It’s something that gathers the family"
This is a story about authenticity, pride…. and coffee. The O.G., original coffee.
Elazar Tamano is a Tel Aviv-based chef and artist who has made it his life’s work to break down stigmas about Ethiopian culture and traditions.
“We drink it here in the morning, and we relate to it as something to wake us up. But in Ethiopia, it’s not. It’s something that connects people. It’s something that gathers the family around the table,” Tamano explains.
According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel is now home to more than 164,000 Ethiopian immigrants who brought with them a wealth of ancient tradition and culture.
“For me, coffee is the most obvious symbol of Ethiopian culture.” Tamano continues, “Coffee, because it was discovered in Ethiopia, because it has a strong presence in the Ethiopian home– the aroma, the sound, everything– you can see everything in the Ethiopian experience.”
Buna is a ceremony which generally takes place three times throughout the day in Ethiopian households. Popcorn is usually served beside it.
“There are three rounds– the Abol, Tona and Bareketeh,” Tamano says as he delves into the tradition, “Abol and Tona, legends say, are the two shepherds who discovered the coffee bean, and Bareketeh is actually that you don’t leave before the blessing of the third coffee.”
The coffee is blessed on, and during the three rounds, each person in the family updates the rest with how they are feeling and how their day is going.
“From a young age I was tasting Ethiopian coffee in the purest, freshest way, and it had a really strong effect on me,” Tamano recalls.
But Ethiopian coffee has not quite caught on in Israel like Turkish coffee or the espresso has.
“That’s despite the fact that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, and it’s the oldest coffee in the world.”
He explains, “There are a lot of reasons- many racist reasons, reasons based on stigmas that fall on everything— affecting coffee, food, culture, and the person.”
Tamano celebrates coffee everywhere in his work, and he hopes that with exposure, and authenticity, Israelis and the world will start to connect to coffee at its roots.
“I just want to show and be proud and to tell the world what I have to offer from my culture– whether it’s Ethiopian coffee, or food, or ancient sourdough bread like injera, or if it’s with language— everything. There are so many things that I want to offer the world and coffee is one of them. I do it in my own way, that is more akin to Ethiopian culture than Middle Eastern.”
Stay tuned for part three of "Discovering Coffee Culture in Israel"