The Book

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony is a wonderful and sustainably crafted book about the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The paper and cover are made from leaves of the Ensete Tree, better known as “false banana”. Ensete is widely grown in Ethiopia and in some areas, especially in the South West, is a dietary staple. It is the powdered body, and not the fruits of the Ensete; fermented or unfermented, that is the base for a number of different local dishes.

The Story

Ethiopia is the only country that has developed a coffee ceremony. It has changed and evolved over many decades and even centuries, but also regionally, surrounded by a common framework. This ceremony still plays an important role in the daily life of most Ethiopians; a day without hosting or participating in a coffee ceremony is not a complete day.

The text and the beautiful drawings in the traditional Ethiopian style are the work of Tesfaye Mekonnen (see below) and his Japanese assistant Kenji.

The Company

Tesfaye Liya and Woinshet Eco Paper was established in 2005 by Tesfaye Mekonnen. His vision was (and still is) to produce environmentally friendly, handmade paper out of recyclable paper and natural organic fibers, which are easily available in Ethiopia.

Every day, in Ethiopia’s capital city Addis Ababa, Tesfaye recycles close to 200kg of waste paper, banana leaves and cotton cloths, turning them into paper bags, photo books etc. However, contrary to his tremendous efforts, his production potential and ambitions are still hampered by a lack of finances, traditional and inefficient production processes and an absence of appropriate technologies.

The Vision

Tesfaye believes in his vision of a clean city for all its citizens. He has a long-term goal to recycle all generated waste paper, cardboard and textiles in Addis Ababa.

To support Tesfaye´s mission, Happy Goat Coffee Company bought 100 Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony books. We are aware that this is only a small contribution, but everything starts small! And if you keep the book in your hands, you instantly know that both companies, Tesfaye Liya and Woinshet Eco Paper and Happy Goat Coffee Company are doing something right for the future of our planet!