How to Prepare Coffee Like an Ethiopian: Buna Ceremony埃塞俄比亞的咖啡儀式

陳偉濟

Got a clay coffee pot， an intense caffeine addiction， and 1-3 hours to kill？ Then let’s make some buna！手邊有個陶土咖啡壺，一時極想喝咖啡，又有一到三個小時可消磨？那就來煮點布納嘗嘗吧！

Buna is the Amharic word for coffee. In Ethiopia， coffee is so deeply ingrained in the culture that one does not simply have a cup of coffee. One must participate in the glory that is Buna Ceremony！ Now you might be thinking that ceremonies are for special occasions. But not coffee ceremonies， my friends. Coffee ceremony is done in every Ethiopian home every day up to 3 times a day！

1. Get dressed? ?Traditionally， the ceremony is carried out by the woman of the house （though I know a few men who make great buna！）. If this is a special day， or if guests are being served she will wear traditional clothing. For a more casual ceremony， she will throw a traditional scarf around her shoulders and head.

2. Set up? ?First and most importantly， the jebena. This is the clay pot essential to making Ethiopian coffee.

Start your fire in your little charcoal stove and let the coals get nice and hot. （Skip this step if you have an electric or gas stovetop.） Set out the small wooden box that holds all of the little coffee cups. This is called a rakabot. Then， lay grass out on the floor. The fresher， the better. This is a sign of freshness， cleanliness， and a welcome to guests.

3. Pop your popcorn? ?It would not be a coffee ceremony without a large basket of popcon being passed around as the host demands you eat more and more！

4. Wash the coffee beans? ?In Ethiopia， the beans are fresh！ No ground Starbucks coffee from a bag！ We have to rub off the lush Ethiopian soil by putting the beans on a metal pan， pouring water over them， and scrubbing them by hand.

5. Roast the coffee beans and WAFT? ?The host will roast the beans on a metal pan over the charcoal fire. I can still hear the familiar sound of beans shaking around in a hot metal pan signifying the start of buna ceremony！ When the beans are perfectly roasted the host will pick up the pan， bring it to the guests and waft1 the smoke all over your face. Guests should inhale and compliment the nice toasted coffee smell. Try not to choke here.

6. Pound the beans? ?The host will usually go outside， place the beans in a big wooden mortar and pound them with a metal pestle2. I have tried my hand at this step and it is much， much harder than it looks. （Another cheat—although the aromas and tastes will not be let out properly， weaklings3 can use an electric coffee grinder for this step.）

7. Boil water in the jebena? ?The host will rejoin her guests at her place in front of the rakabot with the charcoal stove to one side. She will fill the jebena with water and put it on the coals. Now she can chit chat with guests and continue to ensure that they are eating their share of popcorn. When the water is really rolling…

8. Add coffee into the jebena? ?I have never been able to get an exact measurement for this step. Maybe because every Ethiopian mother makes coffee better than everyone else. But in my experience， you add one spoonful for each person drinking coffee. More or less depending on the strength. Put the jebena back on the charcoal for a little bit， then take it off and place it in the round holder to cool a bit.

9. Pour with sugar? ?Small coffee cups called sinis （similar to espresso shots） are filled with sugar. Ethiopians prefer their coffee very sweet， at least three rounded teaspoons in each little cup. It is worth trying to see how Ethiopians enjoy their coffee， but it is ok to ask for no sugar.

10. Light incense? ?When the charcoal is unoccupied by the jebena， the host will throw on some frankincense4—enough to smoke up the whole room with a warm， pleasant aroma！

11. Enjoy！… Two more times！? ?Don’t drink and dash after only one cup！ A full buna ceremony consists of 3 rounds of coffee and to leave before might be seen as rude. This is where the bulk of coffee ceremony time is spent. Do not fret—there will be plenty to keep you entertained！ Catching up with other guests， chit-chatting with the host， playing with small children， singing， dancing， and endless snacks. Be sure to let your host know how good the coffee is.

In recent years， many young Ethiopian women have become entrepreneurs by opening their own “buna bets” on the streets of Ethiopia. If you want a quick shot of caffeine， absolutely support these local ladies. If you want the highest quality coffee and the full cultural experience， then I suggest you find a buna ceremony by visiting a culture house in any city （which can be pricier） or—the best option—make a friend！ Ethiopians love to invite guests into their homes to show off their buna skills！

布納在阿姆哈拉語里是咖啡的意思。在埃塞俄比亞，咖啡文化根深蒂固，人們不是簡簡單單地喝杯咖啡就完事，而是一定要參加布納這一隆重的儀式！這樣一說，你或許在想：儀式是特殊場合才有的。朋友，咖啡儀式可不是這樣。在埃塞俄比亞，家家都有咖啡儀式，每天多達三次。

1. 穿上傳統服飾? ?傳統上，儀式由家中的女性操辦（不過我認識一些很會煮布納的男性）。如果是特殊日子，或有客人在，她會穿上傳統服飾。更隨意的儀式上，她就披上一條傳統圍巾，圍著頭和肩膀。

2. 布置? ?最重要的是叫作jebena的一種陶壺，煮埃塞俄比亞咖啡不能沒有它。

點著小炭爐，把木炭燒紅（如果有電爐或汽油爐請跳過這一步）。擺好要放全部小咖啡杯的小木箱，小木箱叫rakabot。然后在地面上鋪上草，草越新鮮越好，象征清新、干凈和對客人的歡迎。

3. 爆爆米花? ?咖啡儀式一定得有一大籃子爆米花傳著吃，同時主人還會一再請客人多吃。

4. 洗咖啡豆? ?在埃塞俄比亞，咖啡豆是新鮮的！不是星巴克袋裝的咖啡粉！我們必須把咖啡豆上埃塞俄比亞的肥沃泥土洗去——放在一個金屬盤上，澆上水，用手搓洗干凈。

5. 烘烤咖啡豆，聞香? ?主人將用炭火烘烤金屬盤上的咖啡豆。我甚至可以聽見咖啡豆在烤熱的金屬盤上翻動的熟悉聲音，這是布納儀式開始的標志。咖啡豆烤好后，主人會夾起烤盤送到客人面前，讓客人聞咖啡豆飄出來的香味。客人聞后應予以贊美，這個時候可不要嗆到了。

6. 搗碎咖啡豆? ?通常，主人將走到屋外，把咖啡豆放進一個木研缽，用金屬研槌搗碎。這個步驟我親自試過，要比想象的困難得多得多。（還有一招可讓你蒙混過關：柔弱的人可以使用咖啡研磨機——不過香氣和味道都會打折扣。）

7. 燒開陶壺里的水? ?主人會進來陪同客人，坐在小木箱前面，旁邊放著炭爐。她會往陶壺里倒水，然后放到炭火上燒。現在她可以跟客人閑聊，同時繼續招呼客人吃爆米花。當水開始沸騰……

8. 往陶壺里添加咖啡粉? ?這一步我一直沒能掌握好分寸。也許是因為埃塞俄比亞的媽媽們煮的咖啡才是最好的。但我的經驗是，根據人數一人一勺，多一點還是少一點要看口味。把陶壺放回到炭火上烤一小會兒，然后拿下來放到圓形托架上冷卻一下。

9. 放糖? ?小杯咖啡“西尼斯”（像濃縮咖啡）裝滿了糖。埃塞俄比亞人喜歡喝很甜的咖啡，一小杯至少放三滿匙糖。埃塞俄比亞人喝咖啡的方式值得嘗試，但你也可以要求不要放糖。

10. 點香? ?炭火沒有用來燒陶壺時，主人會往里面投些乳香，讓整間屋子充滿沁人心脾的芳香！

11. 品咖啡！……再喝兩杯！? ?不要喝了一杯就匆匆離開！一次完整的布納儀式要喝三個回合，提前離開會被看作不禮貌。咖啡儀式的大部分時間就是這樣度過的，別愁！會有很多事情可以消遣——和其他客人搭搭話，同主人閑聊，逗小孩玩，唱歌跳舞，還有吃不完的點心。記得一定要跟主人說咖啡很好喝。

近些年來，很多埃塞俄比亞的年輕女性在埃塞俄比亞大街上開咖啡館，自己當上了老板。你要是想快速品嘗咖啡，一定要支持這些當地女性。你要是想品嘗最好的咖啡并深入體驗當地文化，那么我建議你參觀城市里的文化館，體驗布納儀式（價格會更貴），或者最好是交個朋友，埃塞俄比亞人喜歡邀請客人到他們家里做客，炫一炫他們的布納技藝。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎選手）