Jebena (, ) is a traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean flask made of pottery and used to brew Arabic coffee. It is also widely used in Sudan, and the coffee itself is called bunna.
Overview
The jebena is most commonly used in the coffee ceremony of Ethiopia and Eritrea, where women serve coffee to their guests in small clay or ceramic pots.
It is usually made of clay and has a neck and pouring spout, and a handle where the neck connects with the base. The jebenas used in Ethiopia commonly have a spout, whereas those utilized in Eritrea usually do not. It is of a medium size, with a neck, a spout and a handle, as well as some regional variants possessing straw lids, and an extra spout to pour the coffee out of, as well as different shaped bases.
The jebena, containing ground, roasted coffee beans and water, is laid directly upon hot coals to bring the water to a brewing temperature. Typically, when the coffee boils up through the jebena's neck, it is poured in and out of another container to cool it. The liquid is then poured back into the jebena until it bubbles up. To pour the coffee from the jebena, a filter made from horsehair or other material is placed in the spout of the jebena to prevent the grounds from escaping. The advantage of the earthenware flask over metal and glass coffee-pots is that it keeps the liquid hot for a longer period of time.
In Ethiopia, a small pottery cup called a sini or finjal is used to contain the coffee poured from the jebena.
In Ethiopia they use a slightly different variation, theirs having a separate spout lower on the pot for pouring out the coffee. In Eritrea the jebena has only one spout at the top, used both for filling with water and grinds and for pouring out the coffee.
It is considered a staple household object in Ethiopia, with decorations and designs being used to represent social status. It has a close association to the bunna, and the rich history of coffee in Ethiopia.
There is a small restaurant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, made in an image of an Ethiopian jebena figure.
History
The most commonly held belief on the origin of the coffee bean was that it was first discovered by a goat farmer in Ethiopia after noticing the effect it had on his goats after consuming the beans.
The jebena holds a significant place in Ethiopian and Eritrean culture. Families will usually have only one, and it is normally passed down from generation to generation as a practical, ornate heirloom. The jebena can be described as an 'artifact', as well as a tool, as it represents significant shared cultural experience and status in Ethiopian and Eritrean culture.
Prevalence
Ethiopia
Brewing coffee is tied closely to womanhood in Ethiopia and in the Horn of Africa. When brewing coffee with the jebena, the youngest woman of the family is always the one to initiate the process. Brewing coffee in the jebena is also a distinctly social event, where during the time it takes to prepare the beans and brew the coffee, families will socialise.
The ornate nature of a jebena makes it a coveted item for a family, with potters in Ethiopia often not having access to tools such as potter's wheels. As a result, a highly decorated jebena is a sign of wealth and status amongst families in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Because of the ritualistic nature of the buna ceremony, if a jebena is not used to prepare and boil the coffee, by all accounts, a bunna ceremony is not taking place.
A household would traditionally participate in the bunna ceremony three times a day, preparing a pot of coffee in the jebena each time. On each occasion, the woman preparing the bunna will announce to all persons in the household that it is taking place, and will invite people to enjoy the ritual before beginning to roast the beans and starting the process of making coffee in the jebena.
Migrants of Ethiopia
The jebena is also tied closely to womanhood amongst migrant families. The jebena represents a delineated routine of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, and despite families not being in their home nation, the ritual of the bunna ceremony is negated by the absence of a jebena. Because of this, the long time it takes to brew coffee in the jebena allows migrant families time to connect and furthers the collective identity women and families have built with their home nation.