Coffee and its Various Uses

This article discusses about the variety and richness of Arabica coffee produced in Ethiopia and its various uses. Kerchanshe is the best coffee supplier from Ethiopia.

For hundreds of years Ethiopia has used Arabica Coffee in their food and drinks. Parts of Ethiopia especially in Hararge (Harar), Kaffa and Bench Maji, and Bale, a tea like drink is made from the leaves of Arabica coffee. The leaves are usually picked fresh from the coffee trees and are either sun dried or dry roasted in a shallow pan. These are then broken into small fragments or grounded into a course powder and brewed as tea. Milk can also be added for taste. This drink is usually called Coti. Coti is said to possess medicinal properties and are used as remedies for headache, fever and stomach issues. Chemo, a variant of Coti is Coti with other ingredients such as ground chilli pepper, ginger, garlic, salt, local basil and rue. These are usually used in Bench Maji and Kaffa as a drink before a day’s hard work or before long journeys.

Usually, roasted coffee beans are mixed with oils and fats and with a variety of other ingredients to make an assortment of savories. In Oroma, coffee is roasted in butter and salt, onions and garlic along with spices. This dish called bunna quella is offered as a snack or appetizer especially during religious ceremonies. Roasted coffee beans are roasted in butter or oil shaped into balls and cooled for later use. These can also be mixed with butter and sugar to make a puree to be eaten with bread.

Roasted coffee also boasts of medicinal properties in Ethiopia. Partially carbonised ground coffee powder is used as a medication for diarrhea or a sore throat. Coffee flowers are used as an antidote eye inflammation, coffee pulp for wounds and roasted coffee leaves for stomach disturbances.

Kerchanshe Trading is one of the top coffee exporters in Ethiopia. We specialize in coffee beans sourced from Yergachefe, Lekempti, Gimbi, Djimma and Sidamo, names that epitomise fine Arabica coffees. With fairness and transparency as founding values, we focus on satisfying customer demand.