Jebena Buna
ጀበና ቡና·(je-be-na boo-na)
Buna in the Suburbs: The Weekend Coffee Ceremony
A black clay jebena rests on the electric stovetop burner. Suburban weeknights shrink the three-hour steep to thirty minutes, but the kitchen remains heralded by roasting raw green coffee beans and the smoke of frankincense. By maintaining the fresh pan-roast, respecting the crucial resting period of the decoction brew, and mastering the dramatic high pour, the heavy cup stays warm long after the burner clicks off.
Ingredients
- green Ethiopian coffee beans1/4 cup
- cold filtered water2 cup
- sugar2 tbsp
- fresh tena adam (rue) or rosemary sprig1 small sprig
- frankincense resin1 small piece
- popcorn2 cup
- kolo (roasted barley snack mix)1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Roast the wet green beans in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until dark and glossy.
Stir constantly to ensure an even roast until the beans reach their first crack and begin to smoke heavily. The smoke is the soul of the ceremony; take the pan off the heat and walk it through your home to properly bless the space.
- 02
Cool the beans completely on a plate before grinding them to the texture of coarse sand.
Grinding piping hot beans will damage your grinder and muddy the flavor profile. An electric burr grinder works flawlessly here to achieve the necessary medium-coarse consistency.
- 03
Bring the water to a gentle boil in a jebena or a spouted saucepan, then stir in the grounds.
Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let it boil aggressively or you will scorch the coffee and extract harsh, bitter tannins.
- 04
Remove the pot from the heat once a thick foam rises, and let it sit entirely undisturbed for five to ten minutes.
This is the most critical step in the process. Because there is no paper filter, you must allow gravity to pull the coarse coffee sediment to the bottom of the pot to ensure a clean cup.
- 05
Pour the coffee from eight to twelve inches above the cups in a slow, continuous stream.
This high pour aerates the liquid, creating a prized layer of micro-foam on the surface while leaving the bitter sediment safely undisturbed at the bottom of the pot.
- 06
Serve the strong brew heavily sweetened, alongside bowls of popcorn and kolo.
If you have a sprig of tena adam, dip it directly into the hot coffee and use it as a stirrer to release its sharp, citrusy oils. The starchy snacks provide a necessary, palate-cleansing contrast to the intense decoction.