Where coffee began.
Bert sits inside a jebena — the traditional Ethiopian clay pot where coffee was born. Frankincense smoke rises through amber steam. Cini cups wait on a grass tray below. One side reads “To be blessed.” The other: “Coffee is medicine.” This is the Origin.
The Origin Story
Ethiopia is where coffee began. Not as a brand or an industry — as a discovery. A goat herder noticed his goats dancing after eating certain berries, and a centuries-old ceremony was born. The jebena is the dark clay pot at the center of that ceremony — spherical base, narrow neck, straw lid. Bert sits inside one because this is the most sacred vessel in the series. He’s not lounging. He’s present.
The ceremony has three rounds: Abol (the awakening, strongest), Tona (the conversation, milder), and Baraka (to be blessed, the lightest — the spiritual transformation). That’s the word on the left side of this mug. On the right: ቡና ድና ነው — coffee is medicine. Both in Ge’ez script with English translations underneath, because this script is ancient and unfamiliar to most — the translation is part of the gift. Fresh grass and small yellow flowers beneath the jebena because that’s what’s actually on the floor during the real ceremony. Nothing decorative. Everything intentional. If the Japanese mug whispers, the Mexican mug sings, and the Puerto Rican mug tells stories — this one prays. See all Coffee Mugs →
Craft & Details
Bert says: Three rounds. No shortcuts. That’s the ceremony.
Perfect for coffee origin chasers, ceremony keepers, and anyone who treats their cup as sacred
Mug Details & Sizing
15 oz white ceramic mug — the daily driver size.
Print & Material
About the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is one of the oldest and most sacred coffee traditions in the world. Green beans are roasted in a pan over an open flame, ground by hand, and brewed in a jebena — a dark clay pot with a spherical base and narrow neck. Frankincense is burned alongside the roasting beans, filling the room with smoke that carries both fragrance and reverence.
The ceremony unfolds over three rounds, each with its own name and meaning:
Fresh grass and small yellow flowers are spread on the floor to represent abundance. Popcorn is served alongside the coffee. The ceremony is communal, unhurried, and deeply personal — an act of hospitality, connection, and prayer.
About the Steeping the Soul Series
A world coffee tour — one culture, one vessel, one language at a time. Each mug in the series features Bert meditating inside a traditional coffee vessel from a different corner of the world, with text in the native language and a color palette inspired by the culture.
