Coffee Tour

The Story:
Many believed that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee (not South America, which some believe). The indigenous coffee trees (which some experts say, are the only native coffee trees in the world) first grew in ancient “Abyssinia,” which is now present-day Ethiopia.
These trees blossomed in an area called “Kaffa” and the trees were called “Kafa,” which may as well be the root word for coffee. In the tenth century, coffee was considered as a food for the local residents.
These people gathered the coffee beans from the trees that grew in the region, ground them up and mixed them with animal fat, forming small balls that they carried as rations on trips. Other indigenous tribes of Ethiopia ate the beans as porridge or drank a wine created from the fermented crushed coffee beans.
By the 13th century, coffee’s restorative powers were well known in the Islamic world. Coffee was considered a potent medicine, as well as a religious potion that helped keep people wake during prayers. Pilgrims of Islam spread the coffee throughout the Middle East and by the end of the 15th century; coffeehouses had replaced mosques as favored meeting places. With the spread of Ethiopian from Africa, to the Middle East, India, Europe, and the Americas, make it one of the most popular blends of coffee in the world.
Highlight About the Tour
Coffee is a beverage obtained from coffee plant’s fruit called cherry. The coffee plant refers to any type of tree in the genus madder family which is actually a tropical evergreen shrub that has the potential to grow 100 feet tall. Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta are the two most commonly cultivated species of coffee plant having economic significance. Arabica accounts for about 70 percent of the world's coffee production. Robusta coffee trees represent about 30 percent of the world's market.
The coffee trees grow well in tropical regions with abundant rainfall, year-round warm temperatures with no frost. The coffee tree needs an average temperature between 17° C to 23° C with abundant precipitation and good soil conditions for good growth. The coffee plant produces its first full crop of beans at about 5 years old and then remains productive for about 15 years.
Domestic Scenario: Ethiopia is known to be the birth place for coffee. Coffee is the major export commodity cultivated in Ethiopia. Coffee grown in Ethiopia is known all over the world for it excellent quality and flavor. Today, Ethiopia stands as the biggest coffee producer and exporter in Africa and amongst the leading in the world. Today wildly growing and cultivated coffee trees cover a surface of roughly 400,000 hectares in Ethiopia. Coffee, a number one export commodity of Ethiopia, is mostly grown by farmers and individuals who care for their coffee like their own babies. Treating coffee and rainforest with respect to nature is a main concern.
Coffee Varieties: The type and grade of coffee is highly diverse in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the producer for the several renowned varieties of coffee including Sidama, Yirgacheffe, jimma and Harar, Guji. Apart from these, there are several other famous varieties that Ethiopia produces. The Ethiopian coffee is processed in two ways, washed processing and the sundried processing.
Coffee preparation in Ethiopia: The coffee is brewed by first roasting the green coffee beans over hot coals in a brazier. Once the beans are roasted each participant is given an opportunity to sample the aromatic smoke by wafting it towards them. This is followed by the grinding of the beans, traditionally in a wooden mortar and pestle. The coffee grounds are then put into a special vessel and boiled. The boiling pot (Jebena) is usually made of pottery and has a spherical base, a neck and pouring spout and a handle where the neck connects with the base. When the coffee boils up through the neck it is poured in and out of another container to cool it, and then is put back into the boiling pot until it happens again. To pour the coffee from the boiling pot, a filter made from horsehair or other material is placed in the spout of the boiling potty prevent the grounds from escaping.
The host pours the coffee for all participants by moving the tilted boiling pot over a tray with small, handle-less cups without stop until each cup is full. Some of the coffee will inevitably miss the cup but this is done to prevent the coffee grounds from contaminating the brew. One extra cup is poured each time. The grounds are brewed three times: the first round of coffee is called Awel in Tigrinya, the second kale'i and the third bereka ('to be blessed'). The coffee ceremony may also include burning of various traditional incense such as frankincense or gum arabic.
There have been increasing requests recently for "Coffee Tours". Simba Tour and Travel Agent therefore organizes trips to main coffee growing areas collaborating with the local Coffee Farmers, Cooperative Unions and the regional governments. The tour includes visiting the process of coffee production from planting to harvesting of beans, discussions with the farmers and the experts about processing and marketing between October to December.
These Tour Programs with their detailed itineraries and corresponding prices are available on request. These Tour Programs are only the popular routes for the visitors. Simba Tour and Travel Agent makes Itineraries based on your interest, time and budget. We can organize expeditions to several off-the beaten track sites of interest.

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