Street Ceremony · Fresh-Roasted Coffee

Buna (Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony)

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Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee itself, and legend credits its discovery to a goat herder named Kaldi who noticed his goats dancing after eating wild coffee cherries.

Buna is fresh green coffee beans roasted over hot coals right in front of the drinker, then hand-ground and brewed in a clay pot called a jebena before being poured in a long, unbroken stream into rows of small handleless cups. Street vendors and market-corner sellers perform the ritual for passersby, often burning frankincense alongside it and serving three rounds per sitting.

Why it's made this way: The three traditional pours are named abol, tona, and baraka — each round considered weaker but more blessed than the last, turning a coffee break into a small act of community and hospitality.