Introduction
In Japan, tea ceremonies involve preparing and presenting matcha (powdered green tea) in a traditional tearoom with a tatami floor. Zen monks first practiced the ritual in Japan during the Kamakura period to keep awake during meditation seasons. The ceremony later became a way of honoring the first patriarch Bodhidharma. During the tea ceremony, the host aims to make the guests feel welcome in an environment different from their daily livelihood.
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a core cultural custom in Eritrea and Ethiopia that involves serving coffee daily. The tradition originated in Ethiopia, where a goat herder saw his flock eating raw coffee berries and took the berries to monks who threw them in the fire, creating a sweet odor. The ceremony aims to bring relatives, neighbors, and visitors together. This essay will compare the cultural norms displayed by Japanese and Ethiopian ceremonies. The Ethiopian and Japanese ceremonies are similar in their cultural meanings, representing the importance of friendship and the community, but are different in terms of preparation methods, places, and serving processes.
Cultural Meanings of Ceremonies
The Japanese tea ceremony and the Ethiopian coffee ceremony have similar cultural meanings. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony holds a sacred value in the community and is considered an essential role in the social and cultural activities of a community (Howard, 2018). The custom is deeply rooted in centuries of practice and daily life. Inviting guests to a coffee ceremony demonstrates respect, hospitality, friendship, purity, tranquility, and harmony (Wilson, 2018).
The objective of the ceremony is to appreciate what life offers, focusing on one task and being present in the moment. The ceremonies bring the community together, observe unity and mutual understanding, strengthen a community’s culture, and create friendships through hospitality. Both ceremonies display cultural practices in virtues such as respect, friendship, and harmony.
Traditional Clothes Associated with Ceremonies
Traditional clothes that represent culture are worn in Ethiopian and Japanese ceremonies. Typical attire for Japanese tea ceremonies is wearing a kimono (Lau, 2022). Specific movements and components of tea ceremonies originate from it. Certain aspects of the tea ceremony, such as wearing silk fukusa clothes, could not be performed without a kimono, belt substitute, and obi because the clothing had to be folded and tucked into the kimono. Smaller clothes, known as Kobukusa, which required kimono collars and sleeves, were worn throughout the ceremony. The type of kimono women wear has solid colors, is unpatterned, and is worn with a nagoya obi with an appropriate tan mono fabric. Men wear a combination of a kimono and Hakama (a long skirt worn over a kimono). The tea ceremony host always wears a kimono, and the guests wear a formal kimono or western formal wear. The style of clothing considered to be appropriate for the ceremony should be subdued and conservative to avoid distractions.
In contrast to the Japanese tea ceremony, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony requires the hostess to wear a white dress embroidered with colorful threads at the borders and reaches the ankles called Nutella. The guests who attend the ceremony wear various traditional attires; the women wear Gabbi or Nutella, while the men wear a knee-length shirt and complementary pants underneath the Ethiopian suit, which has long sleeves (Howard, 2018). Traditional clothes are worn during Japanese and Ethiopian ceremonies to signify culture, unity, and respect.
The Place for Conducting the Ceremonies
The Japanese tea ceremony is typically conducted in specific buildings called Chashitsu, which are tatami-floored and designed according to tradition. The structure usually has a low ceiling, an alcove for hanging scrolls, and separate entrances for guests (Lau, 2022). However, sometimes, the tea is served in any venue where everything necessary to make and serve the tea is available and where the host can prepare the tea in the presence of the visitors.
An example of a tea ceremony that is not held in specifically constructed spaces is an open-air tea ceremony commonly known as Nodate. The open-air tea ceremony requires people to gather outdoors and enjoy green tea. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is held in the home of the host, unlike the Japanese tea ceremony, which is conducted in Chashitsu and open-air space. The host invites neighbors, relatives, and guests into their homes (Howard, 2018). Families often send their children to invite their neighbors to the coffee ceremony.
The Methods of Tea or Coffee Making
The methods of preparing Ethiopian coffee differ from that of preparing Japanese tea. Japanese tea is prepared either as a thick (koicha) or a thin (usucha) tea. Koicha is a thick blend of Japanese tea that requires three times as much tea when compared to usucha because it uses more tea leaves (Röschenthaler, 2022). Koicha is kneaded with a whisk to blend large amounts of powdered tea in the water smoothly. When preparing usucha, powdered green tea is whipped together with water using a tea whisk. The amount of water and green tea used will determine the tea thickness.
Preparing Ethiopian coffee starts with scrubbing off the skin of the coffee beans through washing. The beans are then roasted in an iron pan known as a mitad. After the coffee beans have been burned, they are presented to the guests with the mitad so they can grasp the sweet aroma (Howard, 2018).
A traditional mortar is used to brew the coffee beans, and they are later placed in a clay pot (jebena) containing water to boil. The jebena holds an essential value in the Ethiopian community, and it is made in various shapes and sizes to prepare coffee. After the coffee beans are added to the boiling water, they are left to steep. When coffee foam discharges from the top of the jebena, it is removed from the heat leading to solid coffee particles settling at the bottom of the pot. Compared to Japanese tea, Ethiopian coffee takes longer to prepare because it involves various processes.
The Process of Serving Drinks
The process of serving Ethiopian and Japanese drinks differs in various ways. When serving Ethiopian coffee, the coffee platter (rekebot) is used to place cups. Coffee is poured slowly and consistently from a reasonable height that will not cause spilling. Elders and guests of honor are prioritized when coffee is served. There are three rounds of coffee: the first coffee served is called abol or awel, the second – tona, and the third – bereka (Howard, 2018). Except for milk, various seasoning options are offered, such as sugar, salt, butter, and honey. The coffee is served with aromatic incense like myrrh and frankincense, which are caused by burning hot coal to produce smoke believed to send away evil spirits. When serving Japanese tea, thin tea is presented in an individual bowl to each guest, while thick tea is served using one bowl, shared among several people (Röschenthaler, 2022). Thick tea is served to the important guests first, while thin tea is served with guests taking turns.
The Japanese tea and Ethiopian coffee ceremonies are directed by different rules. In the Japanese tea ceremony, the host seats the guest while the visitor is required to eat what is given. The guests must enter on their knees while avoiding stepping on the mats. During the ceremony, when the cup is passed to a guest, the individual must slightly turn the cup to avoid using the front where the last person’s lips touched. In the Ethiopian ceremony, a female family member is supposed to conduct the occasion. The hostess burns incense while laying flowers and grass on the floor to make the air vibrant. Both ceremonies have different rules that must be followed to ensure an effective process.
Conclusion
When comparing and contrasting the Japanese tea and Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, various aspects are entailed, such as clothing, preparation, serving, ethics, and venue. The Japanese tea ceremony is conducted in Chashitsu and open-air spaces, while the Ethiopian coffee ceremony occurs in people’s homes. Both traditions display cultural ethics such as respect and harmony. The preparation of Ethiopian coffee involves roasting, brewing, and cupping. In contrast, the Japanese tea ceremony involves kneading hot water and powdered green tea with a whisk to make thin and thick tea. Japanese tea is served in a bowl, while Ethiopian tea is served in cups. In both ceremonies, the host and guests wear traditional clothes such as kimonos and white embroidered garments. The ceremonies are important in unifying a community and fostering respect and friendship.
References
Howard, S. (2018). Coffee and the state in rural Ethiopia. Anthropology Matters, 18(1), 83-104. Web.
Lau, W. (2022). On the process of civilisation in Japan: Sociogenetic and psychogenetic investigations. Palgrave Macmillan.
Röschenthaler, U. (2022). A history of Mali’s national drink: Following the tea ritual from China to West Africa. BRILL.
Wilson, D. (2018). The Japanese tea ceremony and pancultural definitions of art. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 76(1), 33-44. Web.