The Heart of Our Cuisine | Ethiopian Food Traditions
Welcome to a journey into the authentic Ethiopian culinary traditions inspiring every dish at Jebena Cafe.
Exploring our deep-rooted customs and unique flavor profiles enhances the entire experience of our culture. We invite you to visit us, try our delicious cuisine for yourself, and learn more!
What is Jebena?
At the heart of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony is the jebena—a traditional long-necked Ethiopian clay pot. Coffee (buna) is finely ground with a mortar and pestle, then is placed with water in the handcrafted jebena. Slow-heated over coals, the coffee settles at the bottom of the jebena when the water reaches a near-boiling temperature. The jebena brews an earthy and distinctively full-flavored coffee.
What areTibs?
In Ethiopian cuisine, the term tibs simply refers to the delicacy of meat sautéed with vegetables. The variety of tibs dishes are defined by: the type of meat used, the way the meat is cooked, and the region preparing the dish. In the mid-18th century, writer and traveler Remedius Prutki of Russia said that tibs are served to “pay a particular compliment or show special respect to someone.”
What is Berbere?
Many of berbere’s spices are used internationally—such as ginger, basil, chili, garlic, and fenugreek. Berebere also includes spices indigenous to Ethiopia, including korarima, rue, ajwain, radhuni, and nigella.
Do You Roast Your Own Coffee?
We proudly roast all the coffee we serve, right here at Jebena Cafe. For our Jebena Coffee Co. house roast, we use only quality Sidamo and Yirgacheffe beans—imported directly from Ethiopia. This ensures that we’ll serve you the freshest coffee available in Seattle’s North End.