ETHIOPIAN COFFEE CEREMONY
Coffee is taken with plenty of sugar (or in the countryside, salt) but no milk and is generally accompanied by lavish praise for its flavour and skilful preparation. Often it is complemented by a traditional snack food, such as popcorn, peanuts or cooked barley. In most parts of Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony takes place three times a day - in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It is the main social event within the village and a time to discuss the community, politics, life and about who did what with whom. If invited into a home to take part, remember -
it is impolite to retire until you have consumed at least three cups, as the third round is considered to bestow a blessing. Transformation of the spirit is said to take place during the coffee ceremony through the completion of 'Abol' (the first round), 'Tona' (second round) and 'Baraka' (third round).
http://www.epicurean.com/articles/et...-ceremony.html
and by the way, Ethiopia is the origin of Coffee (in the region of Kaffa hence the name coffee) and Ethiopian coffee is luxuriously rich in flavor, but indulgently strong. and if you didn't notice, well-to-do Ethiopians thus consume around 9 cups of coffee a day in regards to this ceremony