Local Drinks

1. ቡና

   buna

   Buna (coffee)

   Usage

   Coffee originated in Ethiopia, and the words for it in many languages are held to be cognate with ቡና. In a home or a small café it may arrive not as a single cup but as a whole sequence that starts with roasting the green beans in front of you

2. ጀበና

   jebena

   Jebena (clay coffee pot)

   Usage

   The round-bellied black earthenware pot with a narrow neck and spout, used to boil coffee over the fire. Coffee brewed this way is sometimes advertised as "jebena buna"

3. ሻይ

   shay

   Shay (tea)

   Usage

   Tea. Unless you say otherwise it usually arrives well sweetened, so mention it when ordering if you do not want sugar. Some places serve a spiced version with ginger or cloves

4. ገብስ ሻይ

   gebs shay

   Gebs shay (roasted barley tea)

   Usage

   Roasted barley infused in hot water — caffeine-free, and a common choice in the evening or when you want to skip coffee

5. አጥሚት

   atmit

   Atmit (thin grain gruel)

   Usage

   Barley or oat flour cooked thin enough to drink. Served in the morning and to people who are unwell; it counts as a drink rather than a dish in Ethiopia

6. አጓት

   agwat

   Agwat (whey)

   Usage

   The faintly sour liquid left after butter or cheese has been taken out of the milk. Drunk routinely in rural areas. It is a dairy product, so it does not suit a dairy-free diet or a fasting-day meal

7. ወተት

   wetet

   Wetet (milk)

   Usage

   Milk — also the word to use when asking for it in your coffee. ⚠ At stalls and in rural areas it may be unpasteurised, so skip it if you cannot confirm that it has been heated

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