From birth in Ethiopia one becomes aware of the omnipresence of coffee. More than just a coffee break this ritual is an historic tradition with much religious symbolism.
You can find an exhibition on the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony at Amsterdam's marvellous Tropical Museum.

A small ceremonial carpet is spread out on the floor upon which is placed the rekobot, a wooden tray containing a number of small porcelain cups. Water is brought to the boil on a charcoal stove and an iron pan - the baret metad - is used to roast the fresh, green coffee beans - the buna. When the beans are roasted the pan is carried round the room for the guests to inhale the fragrance. The beans are then transferred onto a stone block and crushed into granules. The gnarls are put into an earthen pot where boiling water has been poured. Traces of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom are added. The mixture is brought back to the boil, immediately taken from the heat and placed into a special holder of woven straw where the suspension is allowed to settle. Traditionally, each guest is served three cups of freshly brewed coffee poured ceremoniously in a continuous stream from a height of one foot into the tiny porcelain cups. A mixture of freshly roasted barley and peanuts - called Yebuna kourse - is ordinarily served with the coffee.

Tropenmuseum
Linnaeusstraat 2
Tel: 5688215
http://www.tropenmuseum.nl>>