Ethiopia, the Birthplace of Coffee; Urban Coffee, Rural Coffee

International Coffee Day

Did you know that October 1st is International Coffee Day?

In the coffee industry, October marks the beginning of the fiscal year in line with the harvesting and shipping of coffee beans. Therefore October 1st was designated as Coffee Day.

Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee

Coffee has been loved all over the world since ancient times. In fact, its origin is said to be in Ethiopia, a country where HOPE sites its projects.

A long time ago, Kaldi, a goat herder in Ethiopia, found a goat eating and leaping excitedly around a little red fruit. He ate the fruit and felt invigorated. That fruit was coffee, and this story is still recounted as an anecdote about the discovery of coffee.

Ethiopia, the world's sixth-largest (*1) coffee producing country, is famous for producing high-quality coffee beans and Ethiopians are very proud of their coffee.

Alternative coffee in rural Ethiopia

However, despite being such a coffee powerhouse, there are people in the rural areas of Ethiopia who cannot afford coffee but instead drink an alternative coffee drink.

It is a tea made by boiling mashed coffee leaves called "Haitsatuke" in the local Gamo language. It is quite different from coffee, with a very bitter taste and a unique fresh leafy smell. In rural villages, where seasoning of drinks is a mark of social status but where sugar is scarce, the locals instead serve this tea with plenty of salt.