Buna (Eritrean Coffee Ceremony Coffee)
Local name: ቡን
In short: Green coffee beans roasted at home, ground fine and boiled in a clay pot, then poured in rounds, the centerpiece of Eritrean hospitality. It takes about 35 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 20 kcal
In Eritrea, offering buna is how you welcome a guest. At the ceremony, green beans are roasted in a pan until the room fills with smoke and fragrance, ground by hand, and brewed in a round-bellied clay pot called a jebena. The coffee is poured in three rounds, each a little weaker than the one before, with sugar, popcorn or bread on the side. At home, a small pot and a frying pan can recreate it.
Instructions
- Rinse the green beans, drain well and spread them in a heavy frying pan. Roast over medium heat, shaking constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until they turn dark brown, crackle and look slightly oily. Open a window, because the beans smoke.
- Tip the hot beans onto a plate and let them cool for 5 minutes. Grind them to a fine powder in a mortar or coffee grinder.
- Bring the 600 ml of water to a boil in a jebena or a small, narrow-necked pot. Add the ground coffee and the cloves, if using, and stir once.
- Return the pot to a boil. When the foam rises to the neck, lift it off the heat until it settles, then boil again. Repeat this twice more, for about 5 minutes in all.
- Rest the pot off the heat for 2 minutes so the grounds sink to the bottom.
- Pour the first round into small cups in one steady stream, holding the pot high. Pass sugar separately, and offer popcorn if you like.
- For the second and third rounds, add 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) of water to the same grounds, boil as before and pour again. Each round will be milder.
Tips
- No green beans? Use freshly ground dark-roast coffee ground as fine as powder. A small saucepan with a spout works if you do not have a jebena.
- Pour steadily and avoid stirring up the bottom of the pot, so the grounds stay behind and the cups come out clear.
Questions and answers
Is Eritrean coffee the same as Turkish coffee?
Both are boiled with the grounds, but Eritrean coffee is brewed in a clay jebena, usually from a fresh home roast, and poured from a height in three rounds.
Can I roast the beans ahead of time?
Yes. Roasted beans keep for about a week in an airtight jar. Roast ahead and grind and brew just before guests arrive, since the coffee is best served right after brewing.
What is served with buna?
Popcorn, roasted grain snacks and bread such as himbasha are common. Sugar is passed separately so each guest sweetens their own cup.
How long does it take to make Buna (Eritrean Coffee Ceremony Coffee)?
About 35 min in total: 10 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Buna (Eritrean Coffee Ceremony Coffee)?
About 20 kcal per serving, with 0 g of protein, 5 g of carbohydrates and 0 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 20 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 5 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
