Reply #84: My granny's chilli. Good fresh German Pastries after church on Sundays

[alfredo]

A little later, The fine food in Asmara. The Zigni, boon, Suwa, and Tej could not be beat.
Drinking tea and eating Italian roll with unsalted butter in a small cafe in the Bosh. It wasn't just the tea, it was the friends, the music, and the smell of the spices in the market.

The boon (coffee) was like Turkish coffee, but there was a ceremony that went with the coffee that made it special. They roasted the coffee there. When the beans were ready, and smoking, the pan was passed in front of each present so they can get a good whiff of the wonderful smell. The ground bean were then put in a clay vessel then water was added. It is allowed to boil three times, which seems to be the custom in much of the mid east.

When ready, some horse hair is stuffed into the stem to act as a filter. The hostess then pours a bit of the boon into a small cup. That coffee was tossed to the ground. If any food is served, small pieces are also cast around. It is an offering, a symbol of generosity and caring.

Love and caring from friends and family makes any food better.