The Eritrean coffee ceremony
Green beans roasted in front of you, frankincense in the air and three rounds of coffee: why an invitation for coffee is really an invitation to stay.
By the Eritrean.net team· 10 October 2026· 2 min read
In an Eritrean home, "come for coffee" rarely means a quick cup. It means an hour or more of conversation around a ceremony that is the same in Asmara as it is in Frankfurt, Riyadh or Toronto - and it is one of the first things people miss when they move away.
What happens
The host - traditionally the woman of the house, often a daughter learning from her mother - sits behind a low table with small cups, called fnjal (ፊንጃል), laid out on a tray. Fresh grass or leaves may be spread on the floor.
- Washing and roasting. Green coffee beans are washed and then roasted in a flat pan over charcoal or a small stove, stirred until they turn dark and shiny. The pan is carried round so every guest can breathe in the smoke.
- Grinding. The roasted beans are ground by hand in a mortar, or in a grinder in many homes today.
- Brewing. The ground coffee goes into a jebanat (ጀበናት), a round clay pot with a long neck, and is boiled. It is left for a moment so the grounds settle.
- Pouring. The coffee is poured in one steady stream from a height, cup after cup, without stopping - a skill people are quietly proud of.
While all this happens, frankincense (ዕጣን, etan) burns on a few coals, and something small is served on the side: roasted grain, or a slice of himbasha (ሕምባሻ), a lightly sweet bread.
Three rounds
The same grounds are brewed three times, and each round has a name:
- Awel (ኣወል) - the first, and the strongest.
- Kalai (ካልኣይ) - the second.
- Bereka (በረኻ) - the third, the "blessing".
The names above are Tigrinya. In Tigre the first two are the same - awel and kalai - and the third is called barkat.
Leaving after the first cup can seem abrupt. Staying for all three is a way of saying you came for the company, not only the coffee.
Why it matters
The ceremony is where neighbours catch up, families settle things, guests are welcomed and news travels. In the diaspora it has become a way of keeping a home's rhythm in a new country, and many community gatherings - from weddings to fundraisers - still end with a jebanat on the table.
If you are invited, accept the cup offered to you, take your time, and stay for bereka.
Sources
- Cover photo: "Coffee pot at an Eritrean restaurant" by Secretlondon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coffee_pot_at_eritrean_restaurant.jpg
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