Abol Photo credit: Africa Access
Location: 8626 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Abol is an Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. It is named for the traditional first cup of coffee in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony is an important part of community life. As people share coffee, they discuss politics, news, and tell stories. Visitors are always welcomed with a coffee ceremony. Nu buna tetu (new boo-nah teh-too) people say in Amharic which means “Come and drink coffee.” It is impolite to leave before you drink at least three cups of coffee. The first round of coffee is called the abol buna, the second round is the tona buna, and the third is the baraka buna (to be blessed). Although children do not drink coffee, they often serve the first cup to an adult. According to legend, coffee was discovered by a goat herder, high in the mountains of Ethiopia. Epicurean.org
Photo credit: Steve Evans – Flickr: Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony 005, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20298082
Resources
Doyle, Emily.”Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.” Epicurean.org. Accessed 8/20/2020. http://www.epicurean.com/articles/ethiopian-coffee-ceremony.html
“Look Inside an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.” Demand Africa. Accessed 8/20/2020. https://www.demandafrica.com/food/look-inside-an-ethiopian-coffee-ceremony/