If you are a coffee lover, this is one of the most enjoyable events you can attend, be it at someones home, or in an Ethiopian Restaurant. I was fortunate enough to participate in the ceremony in one of my favorite restaurants, Mesob, in Montclair, NJ. The coffee is taken through its full life cycle of preparation in front of you in a ceremonial manner. Coffee is called 'Bunna' (boo-na) by the Ethiopians.
The ceremony starts with the woman, first bringing out the washed coffee beans and roasting them in a coffee roasting pan on small open fire/coal furnace. The pan is similar to an old fashioned popcorn roasting pan and it has a very long handle to keep the hand away from the heat. At this time most of your senses are being involved in the ceremony, the woman shakes the roasting pan back and forth so the beans won't burn (this sounds like shaking coins in a tin can and reminded me of making jiffy pop popcorn as a child), the coffee beans start to pop (also just like popcorn.) When finished roasting, the preparer takes the roasted coffee and walks it around the room so the smell of freshly roasted coffee fills the air.
The roasted coffee is placed in a small household tool called 'Mukecha' (moo-ke-ch-a) for the grinding. Most restaurants at this time incorporate modern coffee grinders into the process, but some still use the traditional method. That method is to use a mukecha, a heavy wooden bowl into which the beans are placed. A wooden/metal stick called 'zenezena' is then used to crush the beans in a rhythmic up & down manner. (Think pestle and mortar.)
The crushed powder is then put into a traditional pot made out of clay called 'jebena' (J-be-na) with water and is boiled in the small open fire/coal furnace. Again the boiling coffee aroma fills the room,and the coffee is served in small cups called 'cini' (si-ni). Most usually these are the small Chinese tea cups found in most Chinese tea sets.
As you sip your first cup of coffee, you've gone through the full ceremonial process of the washing, the roasting, the grinding, and the brewing culminating with service and consumption. By now, the process is finished, but traditionally, Ethiopians will partake of at least a second serving and sometimes a third.
The second and third serving are important enough that each serving has a name, first serving is called "Abol;" second serving is "Huletegna"and third serving is "Bereka." The coffee is not ground for the second and third serving, a portion of coffee powder is left on purpose for these two ceremonies.
Ethiopian Coffee
Beans from Sumatra have always been highly prized not only because of their full flavor, but also because of their distinct appearance. Sumatran coffee beans, when green, are often asymmetrical in shape and have a deep aquamarine tint. Beginning in the 18th Century when the popularity of Sumatran coffee rose significantly, the unique shape and hue helped European merchants recognize authentic Sumatran coffee beans.
However, Sumatran coffee's distinct appearance isn't the only factor contributing to the coffee's uniqueness. The unusual drying techniques employed by Sumatran coffee farmers also contribute to the coffee's distinctiveness. These techniques involve an extended period of the coffee bean's exposure to the pulp of the berry after the berry has been harvested—a process which is believed to produce deeper tones in the brewed coffee.
Ethiopia produces some of the most unique and fascinating coffees in the world. The three main regions where Ethiopia coffee beans originate are Harrar, Ghimbi, and Sidamo (Yirgacheffe). Ethiopian Harrar coffee beans are grown on small farms in the eastern part of the country. They are dry-processed and are labeled as longberry (large), shortberry (smaller), or Mocha (peaberry). Ethiopian Harrar coffee can have a strong dry edge, winy to fruit like acidity, rich aroma, and a heavy body. In the best Harrar coffees, one can observe an intense aroma of blueberries or blackberries. Ethiopian Harrar coffee is often used in espresso blends to capture the fine aromatics in the crema.
If you are a coffee drinker, seek out an Ethiopian restaurant near you. Not only is dinner spectacular, (be ready to eat with your hands. Forks are optional!) and an experience, the coffee is a must!
Bon Apetit!
May 27, 2011
May 03, 2011
Twitter is not a 140-character billboard, it's a chance to interact & listen....
The world of public relations, media relations and brand recognition has been forever changed with the advent of "Social Media." From nationally, well known brands and companies, to celebrities and media moguls, in today's world of instant information, (just look how fast the news of Bin Laden raced through the twitter verse) phrases such as twitter, tweeting, following and followers and the hash tag (#) have become everyday words, having inserted themselves into the the world's lexicon.
While most of the world is on twitter in a personal way, the business, food and entertainment world has embraced it as a great way to promote their brand or message. It is to that segment of twitter user that I address this post today.
My reasons for writing this are simple. First, 140 characters just wouldn't do. Second, lately, I have noticed many twitter users, be they large international companies, small to mid size businesses, or social media experts hired by these same companies attempting to use twitter to get their message out. I have also noted that while they know the how of tweeting a 140 character message, few have actually grasped the power of tweeting, if done the right way.
I am in no way a 'social media expert,' (I really hate that title, especially when I click the profile of a self titled 'expert,' only to find them following 5, 0000 people, but only followed by an equal or lesser amount of people) nor am I someone who has it all figured out. I am , however, someone who has been in marketing in one capacity or another for over 20 years. The insights I will share with you today are just my 'common sense' observations, based upon one seemingly forgotten simple premise...The Psychology of the Sale and Selling.'
It seems that since the advent of twitter ( and yes facebook as well, but we'll cover that under separate cover) companies feel that once they have their twitter account, hire someone, or a PR firm, as their social media account rep, or they do it by themselves, as long as a few 140 character tweets go out that day about this or that sale, what the company is planning or doing, who's birthday in the office it is that day, they have entered the age of 'Social Media' and their Marketing Department is up with the times. Well folks that is just not so. Oh, you can say you are on twitter, but you can't really say you are getting the most 'from' twitter.
As my prime example; If you are a recognized household brand or company that is in millions of people's homes or maybe your brand is the lips of millions of people daily and you have a twitter account where you have only a few thousand followers or you follow as many of the public, as follows you...YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!!!! Whether, it's having the wrong person, or maybe that person just does not understanding the psychology of brand loyalty and how to interact with your customer base, or maybe your success means that you view your twitter campaign is of nominal value (if that is your view, the rest of this article is moot) if you fit the above description, you are in no way utilizing your twitter presence to its fullest potential. Period!
Twitter is NOT A 140 CHARACTER BILLBOARD...it is a chance to interact with your customer base, energize them to your philosophy, hear their need from your company and directly interact with them so as to grow your brand loyalty.
Think back, all you small business owners, marketing dept heads and VPs, to when you first started selling.
Remember when you listened twice as much as you talked in order to find out what your potential customer needed, in order to help them find a solution to their problem and thereby 'close a sale?' Well I'm here to tell you nothing has changed just because the dialog takes place on twitter and if your 'socal marketing rep' is telling you it IS different, you have the wrong person for the job.
You gain reputation on twitter, not by constant tweets of 'when we get to 5000 followers we're giving away a cup of coffee, or yogurt, or a tee shirt," you gain your reputation by communicating WITH your followers, not AT them. They in turn, realize and understand that you have figured out that you being on twitter is about them, not you, and they recommend you to their friends and acquaintances, not because of some silly contest, but because you, your rep, or your pr firm let's them know that they matter more than the next billboard tweet.
Brand loyalty is about a relationship and a connection between a company and its customers. Success on twitter is about the same thing. People should want to follow you and your brand, not because you fix their washing machine well, or sell 'em bread, or do their taxes, or help them travel, or have great recipes. They should want to follow you because they feel a connection to you or your brand personally, they have fun talking WITH you and they know that you care about their needs. This simple mindset can help you not only grow your twitter rep and presence, but your companies success as well. Which, after all, IS the very reason you are on twitter in the first place. I hope this helps.
While most of the world is on twitter in a personal way, the business, food and entertainment world has embraced it as a great way to promote their brand or message. It is to that segment of twitter user that I address this post today.
My reasons for writing this are simple. First, 140 characters just wouldn't do. Second, lately, I have noticed many twitter users, be they large international companies, small to mid size businesses, or social media experts hired by these same companies attempting to use twitter to get their message out. I have also noted that while they know the how of tweeting a 140 character message, few have actually grasped the power of tweeting, if done the right way.
I am in no way a 'social media expert,' (I really hate that title, especially when I click the profile of a self titled 'expert,' only to find them following 5, 0000 people, but only followed by an equal or lesser amount of people) nor am I someone who has it all figured out. I am , however, someone who has been in marketing in one capacity or another for over 20 years. The insights I will share with you today are just my 'common sense' observations, based upon one seemingly forgotten simple premise...The Psychology of the Sale and Selling.'
It seems that since the advent of twitter ( and yes facebook as well, but we'll cover that under separate cover) companies feel that once they have their twitter account, hire someone, or a PR firm, as their social media account rep, or they do it by themselves, as long as a few 140 character tweets go out that day about this or that sale, what the company is planning or doing, who's birthday in the office it is that day, they have entered the age of 'Social Media' and their Marketing Department is up with the times. Well folks that is just not so. Oh, you can say you are on twitter, but you can't really say you are getting the most 'from' twitter.
As my prime example; If you are a recognized household brand or company that is in millions of people's homes or maybe your brand is the lips of millions of people daily and you have a twitter account where you have only a few thousand followers or you follow as many of the public, as follows you...YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!!!! Whether, it's having the wrong person, or maybe that person just does not understanding the psychology of brand loyalty and how to interact with your customer base, or maybe your success means that you view your twitter campaign is of nominal value (if that is your view, the rest of this article is moot) if you fit the above description, you are in no way utilizing your twitter presence to its fullest potential. Period!
Twitter is NOT A 140 CHARACTER BILLBOARD...it is a chance to interact with your customer base, energize them to your philosophy, hear their need from your company and directly interact with them so as to grow your brand loyalty.
Think back, all you small business owners, marketing dept heads and VPs, to when you first started selling.
Remember when you listened twice as much as you talked in order to find out what your potential customer needed, in order to help them find a solution to their problem and thereby 'close a sale?' Well I'm here to tell you nothing has changed just because the dialog takes place on twitter and if your 'socal marketing rep' is telling you it IS different, you have the wrong person for the job.
You gain reputation on twitter, not by constant tweets of 'when we get to 5000 followers we're giving away a cup of coffee, or yogurt, or a tee shirt," you gain your reputation by communicating WITH your followers, not AT them. They in turn, realize and understand that you have figured out that you being on twitter is about them, not you, and they recommend you to their friends and acquaintances, not because of some silly contest, but because you, your rep, or your pr firm let's them know that they matter more than the next billboard tweet.
Brand loyalty is about a relationship and a connection between a company and its customers. Success on twitter is about the same thing. People should want to follow you and your brand, not because you fix their washing machine well, or sell 'em bread, or do their taxes, or help them travel, or have great recipes. They should want to follow you because they feel a connection to you or your brand personally, they have fun talking WITH you and they know that you care about their needs. This simple mindset can help you not only grow your twitter rep and presence, but your companies success as well. Which, after all, IS the very reason you are on twitter in the first place. I hope this helps.
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