The image for the Ethiopian New Millennium is a grain of coffee surrounded by the national flag, because coffee plays a very significant role in Ethiopia. It is its main export product (or the 2nd according to our research) and is celebrated in everyday life with the timely coffee ceremony, where women make coffee starting by roasting the grain. They burn incense at the same time, another typical Ethiopian product, alongside with slaves, especially for the Arab peninsula.
In Ethiopian mythology, Kaldi, a young goatherd, first noticed the effects on coffee back in the 10th century. Kaldi’s coffee is also the name of the fake Starbuck’s that opened near the Airport, in the modern Bole Rd area. Its owner, a priced women entrepreneur, Tseday Asrat, in Addis Ababa supposedly asked Starbucks for a franchise and did not get it, so she went on her own. Kaldi’s resembles Starbucks, the same green aprons, lettering and expensive coffee.
Maybe Howard Schultz visited Kaldi’s lately during his official visit to President Zenawi. They have ended the months long dispute, earlier this year, because Starbucks’ opposed Ethiopia’s plans to copyright its coffee, Starbucks has signed distribution, marketing and licensing agreements with Ethiopia.
As usual, coffee is business.
