Favorite Things | Sacred grounds
Tewolde GebreMariam, Ethiopian Airlines听Group CEO,听talks about his love for coffee.
Interview POLA ESGUERRA DEL MONTE
When听you are responsible for hundreds of听passengers听flying in different time zones, when do you take a break?听Ethiopian Airlines听Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam takes his in the morning over three ceremonial pours of听coffee鈥abol听(the first round),听tona听(second round) and听baraka听(third round)鈥攊n a ritual that lasts as long as a typical stopover.听听
顿谤颈苍办颈苍驳听bunna, as Ethiopians call their centuries-old specialty,听is听a听tradition that Mr. GebreMariam grew up with as听a boy听in the African country. The ceremony is a social event听revolving around a听rekbot, a shelf-like听box for听coffee, that sits on a bed of long scented grasses and flowers. Dressed听in traditional Ethiopian garments, the lady of the household听washes the green听coffee听beans then听roasts them in a flat pan. A rich, nutty aroma wafts through the air and intermingles with the scent of frankincense and myrrh, which is听burned alongside the beans. She mixes the grounds with spices and pours the result into a听jebena, an ornate clay pot, from which golden streams of听coffee听flow out of听narrow lips.听The听bunna听is then poured听into tiny cups called听cini.听Years of practice are required to be worthy of doing听the pouring, which should be done听without interruption and听from a height of听one foot. After the half-hour听preparation,听the ritual鈥檚 participants partake of several rounds.听
Mr.听GebreMariam听appreciates this process,听enjoying it at least twice a day:听in the morning and听after lunch. Unlike instant coffee,听bunna听requires at least two hours.听Delayed satisfaction is nothing new to Mr. GebreMariam, who stayed with the same airline company for 30 years before being named its听CEO. He began his career in the听cargo听traffic handling department in 1985,听and climbed the ranks by holding managerial positions in different regions of the world: India, South East Asia, Jeddah, the United States and Canada.听
The airline has听now taken him to the Philippines, where Ethiopian Airlines recently started thrice-a-week Manila-Africa flights.听It鈥檚 the听ticket to Ethiopia,听the birthplace of听coffee,听 which Mr. GebreMariam toasts.听鈥Buna dabo now,鈥澨齢e says. 鈥淐offee听is our bread.鈥澨
Does听the听coffee听help you work?听
When you鈥檙e a CEO of an airline company,听you sleep like a baby. You know how a baby sleeps? A baby sleeps for two hours, and then wakes up. And then sleeps another two hours,听then wakes up.听It鈥檚 the coffee that听keeps me alert.听
听What鈥檚 it like听being an听airline CEO?听
听It鈥檚 a very tough job. You worry about all of the flights.听All.听If you have 80 airplanes in the air at one point in time,听it鈥檚 impossible to听sleep.听There are constant calls and urgent things coming so you cannot sleep for a long time.
What do you enjoy your听coffee听with?听
I enjoy听it on its own. We hold the ceremony at home.听
What do you like eating when听you travel?听
Ethiopian and Italian food.听Italian听food听is very听popular听in Ethiopia, and听Italy听is also famous for听coffee.听Ethiopian food is quite unique because听our staple food is听a听grain听that听is grown only in Ethiopia鈥攏owhere else. We call it听teff听and it is high in fiber and gluten-free.听It鈥檚 very healthy听and has been compared to听quinoa and spelt.听However, Ethiopia听currently has a long-standing ban on exporting the grain in its raw or flour form. Our airline听does, however,听serve听it in its bread form鈥injera鈥攖o our听business class passengers.听听
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Why travel to Ethiopia?听
Ethiopia is a place听teeming with听more than 80 languages.听We have cultural dances听that听vary听from region to region. There听are plenty of听historical听and听Biblical places in Ethiopia鈥攐ld churches and monasteries.听听The Aksumite kingdom, which gave rise to present-day Ethiopia, was one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient world.听Depending on which version you鈥檙e reading,听Ethiopia is mentioned听at least听37 times in the Bible.听 听
