A Love Letter to My Mother

Ayyo’s coffee (which we first called Akkoh, meaning “grandmother” in Oromo) is a love letter to my late mother, Amina.. She immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia after fleeing the civil war in the late 1980s. She used to describe her first days in this new, unrecognizable land, as a fever dream. White fluff falling from the sky, stairs that moved, and doors that seemed to open unpredictably. 

The one thing that kept her going during her dark uncertain days, was her memories and deep connection to home.

Coffee is an integral part of Ethiopian culture, especially the Oromo region, where my family originates from. Most know that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, but as legend has it, it was more specifically discovered in the Oromo region of Kaffaa (where some like to disagree, but I believe the word Coffee originates from! Kaffa = Coffee, hellllooo!)

My mother’s father was a farmer, who cultivated many crops, her favourites being  sugarcane and coffee beans. When she came to Canada, and felt lost and uncertain, searching for a way to feel connected to back home, her only solace was in the coffee bean.

Coffee is not just a drink to us Ethiopians… It's an experience. The brewing is intentional and time- consuming. It is meant to be shared with loved ones… over sounds of laughter, debates and impromptu singing. I often get flashbacks of me as a child, watching my mother meticulously move the beans in a cast iron pan over a fire, blowing out the embers, while telling us stories of a magical past growing up in the farmlands of Oromia.

When my mother passed away in the winter of 2021, I was unsure of how I was going to continue her legacy. I felt a burgeoning urge to share her story but was unsure of how best to deliver it. My mother could yield a sword while nurturing a feather. She was beyond words when it came to her compassion, thoughtfulness and determination. 

I knew I had to do something that integrated her past but also her full life here in Canada.

So with the help of family, we were able to go back home and nurture old relations and create new connections with the dozens of hardworking coffee farmers in the Oromo region. Our hope is to bring you the brightest, most delicious, and authentic single origin coffee bean directly from our organic farms to your cup. We are also determined to continue building and creating transparent, fair and honest economic growth for our hardworking farmers backhome. 

So this is my love letter to you, Momma. I miss you, and I hope to make you proud.

Check our blog regularly for wonderful, courageous and hilarious stories I will continue to share about my mother, Amina.