Today, over 12 million people in Ethiopia are involved in the cultivation and picking of coffee, and coffee remains a central part of Ethiopian culture. Ethiopia is considered to be the birthplace of the coffee plant and of coffee culture. Coffee Culture As might be expected of the country where coffee first originated, Ethiopia has a strong and pervasive culture centred around coffee, known locally as buna. While guiding us through the marketplace in Harar, Ethiopia’s coffee capital, our tour guide Yohannes pointed to a tarp covered with tan-colored coffee beans, laying out in the sun.“There’s a Writer Jessie Beck offers her take on Ethiopian coffee culture, including where, how and why to drink it. It is thought that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia as long ago as the ninth century. Beyond pure socialization, the coffee ceremony also plays a spiritual role in Ethiopia, one which emphasizes the importance of Ethiopian coffee culture. Local tour company Go Addis shares three of the best city cafés at which to experience an authentic feeling for Ethiopia’s special coffee culture.