Metasebia Yoseph, a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., is the writer and creative director of 'A Culture of Coffee' - a transmedia project highlighting the history and culture of coffee in Ethiopia. (Courtesy photo)
By — Delece Smith-Barrow
For the millions of Americans who drink coffee every day, grabbing a cup is usually a simple affair. But for the 200,000 Ethiopians who make the Washington area home, coffee is more than just a morning or afternoon pick-me-up: In their homeland, drinking coffee is close to a sacred ritual.
Hoping to explain to Americans how important the coffee-drinking experience is for Ethiopians, local writer Metasebia Yoseph is working on a book titled “From Ethiopia with Love,” which will introduce the warm, family-oriented ceremony that traditionally goes into making, serving and enjoying of coffee in that country.
Yoseph, who is a director for the Ethiopian Cultural Development Corp., a nonprofit organization, is embarking on a three-month journey through Ethiopia to research its coffee-producing regions. She is the creator of cultureofcoffee.com, part blog, part funding engine for her research. In her eyes, coffee is a cultural good, and as Ethiopia becomes more westernized, and the habit of rushing to get and drink coffee becomes more prevalent, the ceremony becomes more special, more sacred. In her words, here’s why:
Click here to continue reading at The Washington Post.
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Related:
Tadias Interview With Metasebia Yoseph
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