A tribute to the birth place of coffee, Ethiopia

Ethiopian Embassy, Beijing, 08 January 2014- In a ceremony held at the Starbucks flagship store in Beijing Kerry Centre, a coffee testing program for the newly introduced Ethiopian Blend was held yesterday, January 7.

On the occasion, Ambassador Tesfaye Yilma, Deputy Head of the Ethiopian Embassy in China said that the Ethiopian Coffee remains unique coffee and thanked Starbucks for promoting and presenting Ethiopian coffee with its uniqueness and identity. “We grow it in Ethiopia, partially process it and Starbucks serve it in cups, this is partnership in action.”

The Vice President for Public Affairs of Starbucks China, Mr.Dongwei Shi on the occasion made a lucid presentation of Ethiopian coffee and the new blend.

The Ethiopian Blend was colorfully served in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony performed to guests present.

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a social event where family, neighbors and friends gather and share their thoughts, feelings, concerns, gossip and community events. The Ethiopian tradition dictates that one should’t drink coffee alone. 

The Ethiopian Blend Coffee of Starbucks is a single-origin coffee containing two of the most exquisite Ethiopian coffee types, Limmu and Sidamo.

The theatrical presentation of the story of the discovery of coffee in Ethiopia by two artists dressed as shepherd and goat was the highlight of the event. The shepherd, Kaldi, was intrigued by the fact that the goats that had eaten the ripe berries of the coffee tree were joyful. His discovery had opened the avenue for the use and spread of coffee across the world.

On the package of the blend, Starbucks declares a unique test. “From ninth-century Ethiopia, Arabica coffee beans began their journey to the rest of the world. Today our masters have created an entirely new way to experience these treasured beans. With a velvety texture and floral, peppery spice notes, this exquisite blend is our tribute to the birthplace of coffee.”

The special blend was launched in Seattle in September 2013 and Starbucks China launched the product on January 3 in China.

Ethiopia is gifted with varieties of coffee types known by their distinct flavors and aromas. The major coffee types are named after the places where they are grown namely- Limmu, Teppi, Bebeka, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harrar, Borana.

While Ethiopia is among the top ten exporters of coffee, it is uniquely the highest consumer of the coffee it produces.