Celebrating coffee

After days of training it was time to celebrate... and in Jimma, coffee becomes a part of the celebration. We arrive to the office arranged in a traditional coffee setting (note the round pot) and a customary snack of chollo (toasted barley). The floor is strewn with long blades of a special grass and incense burns. The smell of incense mingles with roasted coffee. It makes for a mix of tradition without ceremony. Outside they are roasting lamb, two to be exact. Rather than on a spit as I imagined, the lamb is already butchered and various parts are cooked according to a preferred method. Here, a large wok-like fry pan is used for large pieces of meat. In the background you can see a pot used for a mix of organ meats (none for me, thanks). Rather than a spit-fired roasting method, a spit-like serving method carries meat to each diner. As the server comes by, you point at the piece(s) you want and they cut it to order. As you sink your teeth into the meat you taste a spiced oil (perhaps ghee) used to season the meat before cooking.