Barista keeps 100-year promise with Ethiopian emperor
Chuncheon's Ethiopia Bet is more than
just a coffeehouse: Cho Soo-kyung
By Kwak Yeon-soo | koreatimes.co.kr | 2023-01-19 15:33
CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province ― Making a perfect cup of coffee
is a delicate affair, from selecting healthy green beans, roasting them and
determining the perfect brewing ratio to choosing the ideal serving
temperature.
Barista Cho Soo-kyung, the second-generation owner of Ethiopia Bet
(Ethiopia House) coffeehouse in the Gangwon provincial city of Chuncheon,
learned about coffee from her mother who opened Korea's first roastery cafe in
1968 to serve high-quality Ethiopian coffee to visitors.
The coffeehouse specializes in Ethiopian coffee, from the Harar,
Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions, which are all roasted daily in small batches.
"My 91-year-old mother can still tell if beans are roasted properly
or not. I took after her, and I have a sensitive sense of taste. I don't wear
makeup, color my hair or nails because they can distort my sense of taste and
smell," she said during an interview with The Korea Times, Tuesday.
Her family's close tie to Ethiopia dates back to 1968 when her uncle
sponsored the Monument for the Participation of Ethiopia in the Korean War.
Ethiopia was the only African nation to send ground troops to help South
Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War. A total of 6,037 Ethiopian soldiers fought
on the side of the United Nations Allied Forces, and among them, 121 were
killed in action while 536 were wounded.
"Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie even dispatched his imperial
guards, telling them to fight courageously and not come back alive. After the
war, Ethiopia helped establish the Bohwa welfare center (in Dongducheon,
Gyeonggi Province) and took care of war orphans," Cho explained.
When the emperor visited Korea in May 1968, he came to see the monument.
He mentioned it would be nice if there was a cultural center nearby.
"A few months later, my mother, who was a teacher back then, opened
Ethiopia House near the monument. It offered visitors a place to relax, talk
and come together," Cho said.
Ever since then, the Ethiopia House has played the role of a
cultural center. The building was decorated with handcrafted Ethiopian artwork.
Because Ethiopia has a reputation for producing some of the world's
highest-quality coffee, Cho's parents started serving Ethiopian coffee roasted
fresh on-site.
"The coffeehouse scene was drastically different when Ethiopia
House was built. Back in the 1960s, selling coffee was considered demeaning so
my grandparents were against the idea. However, my mother was determined about
her career change," Cho said.
Emperor Selassie later named the place the "Ethiopia Bet"
("bet" means house in English) and gave her the right to use the
emblem of the Ethiopian Empire.
"My mother made a promise with the emperor that 'for the next 100
years, I won't leave a day without the smell of hot ground coffee.' Until now,
the coffeehouse has never been closed … not even when my father died or when
the building was flooded," she said.
The family-owned establishment celebrates its 55th anniversary this
year, but business was not always smooth sailing, according to Cho.
"Now Ethiopian coffee imports are shipped in containers, but in the
past, we received the beans through Japan in diplomatic bags," she said.
"In 1974 when Ethiopia became a socialist state, the Korean government
tried to close down the coffeehouse. But my mother was headstrong and
irrepressible. She always stressed the importance of loyalty in any
relationship."
Like her parents, circumstance led Cho, 62, to become the current owner
and operator of the family business. She once worked as a special effects
supervisor and script adapter in the film industry and was at the peak of her
career when she got a call from her mother.
"My parents wanted me to take over the business. I told them, 'give
me a week to think about it.' And my mother said I had no loyalty. That changed
my mind," she said.
Ever since then, Cho has continued the legacy started by her mother and
further fostered a sense of community. She now works with her husband, son,
daughter and son-in-law to continue promoting Ethiopian coffee that started 55
years ago here.
As coffee drinkers in Korea become increasingly choosy and
health-conscious, Cho takes great pride in delivering the best coffee.
"Quality-wise, we always keep our standards to the highest level possible
and maintain them. When you drink good coffee, your skin glows," she said.
Cho criticized large coffee chains for their excessive or uneven
roasting of the beans. "If you drink burnt coffee, you may suffer from
acid reflux and abdominal pain. Considering how much Koreans love coffee, they
should look for healthy coffee," she said.
According to a survey conducted by the Korea National Council of
Consumer Organizations, seven out of 10 Korean adults drink at least one cup of
coffee a day. Koreans' average coffee consumption is 367 cups a year, the
second highest in the world (following France, 551 cups) and more than twice
the global average (161 cups).
Cho, who is the honorary ambassador for Ethiopia, expressed her wish to
build a statue of Emperor Selassie near Ethiopian Bet. This year marks the 60th
anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and Ethiopia.
"I plan to request the Chuncheon mayor to build the statue of
Emperor Haile Selassie to strengthen bilateral ties. It can become a landmark
and draw more visitors to the city," she said.
In 2007, the Memorial Hall for Ethiopian Veterans was established near
the coffeehouse, making the area a "Little Ethiopia" neighborhood. In
2011, following persuasion from Cho and her husband, David Cha, the local
government renamed the road near Ethiopia Bet as "Ethiopia Road."
Each year Cho organizes the Meskel Festival attended by hundreds of
Ethiopian nationals and visitors. For Ethiopian diplomats and travelers,
Ethiopia Bet is a must-visit place.
"Whenever a new Ethiopian ambassador to Korea arrives, they visit
the Memorial Hall for Ethiopian Veterans and Ethiopia Bet, even before visiting
the presidential office," she said. "All of the former Korean
presidents have visited our coffeehouse. Former President Park Geun-hye shed
tears when she saw a picture of her father, former President Park Jung-hee, on
the wall."
After the interview, Cha showed the traditional "buna" coffee
ceremony. Several Ethiopian travelers were present to watch the ceremony and
share a cup of coffee.
"Buna is a cultural celebration. It's an important part of our
tradition," said Eshetu Belete, who visited Ethiopia Bet for the first
time. "Ethiopians love coffee. I drink at least three cups of coffee a day
― every morning, afternoon and evening."
Before the ceremony, coffee cups are arranged on a table along with
snacks such as popcorn. Sweet incense is burnt as a way to energetically purify
the space.
The process begins with roasting the beans in an iron pan. The roasted
beans are taken to the guests so that they can smell the aromas. The coffee
beans are then pounded into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. The ground
coffee is put in a jebena, a traditional clay pot made specifically for
preparing coffee.
Once the coffee is added to the simmering water, it is left to steep in
the pot. When the coffee foam discharges from the top hole of the jebena, it is
left to sit for about three minutes to allow the coffee powder to settle at the
bottom of the pot. Then it is poured into cups and can be enjoyed with various
additional ingredients such as sugar, salt, and butter.
 |
Barista Cho Soo-kyung poses with coffee beans at her coffeehouse, Ethiopia Bet, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
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