Abstract:
Buna Qalaa (Slaughtered Coffee) is the coffee meal which is prepared from dried
coffee berries by cooking them with butter after washing appropriately and cutting the
tip off each coffee bean with one’s teeth. This study deals with the buna qalaa ritual of
the Boorana Oromo. It aims at investigating the worldview, philosophy and symbolisms
of coffee which are rooted in the buna qalaa ritual of the Boorana Oromo. To this end,
ethnographic field methods of interview, focus group discussion and observation were
exploited in order to generate first hand data. The raw data was interpreted and
synthesized drawing on the general framework provided by Turner (social drama) and
Geertz (thick description) as a theoretical basis. The analysis revealed the procedures
followed to prepare buna qalaa, the social actors of the ritual, its social values and the
worldviews attached to the practices involved in the ritual, as well as the symbolic
interpretations of the actions and blessings. Thus, it is possible to safely conclude that
the buna qalaa ritual, which accompanies all ritual performances of the Oromo is
beyond meal/consumption and reflects the philosophical outlook of the people. The
philosophical viewpoint and worldview of the society ingrained in this ritual depict the
strong and time tested attachment of the Oromo to coffee consumption and
production.
