It probably doesn’t come as a big surprise that the best macchiato I’ve ever had was in my beloved Ethiopia. Even the complimentary coffee on Ethiopian Airlines was divine.

In Addis Ababa I went to Tomoca Coffee House, where funny enough, I thought I bought one macchiato, but instead  managed to buy four. How I ordered four macchiatos instead of one is still a great mystery to me. Maybe the cashier couldn’t make out my southern accent.

At the bustling, always busy Tomoca coffee house you purchase your coffee at the front of the house and they give you chips (based on your order) that you redeem at the back of the house. I was given four black chips and still didn’t realize until the woman who was working the counter told me, “You have four chips; we will give you four macchiatos.”

I looked at her dumbfounded. 

Why was she giving me four macchiatos? Maybe I was tired after four days in Africa. Maybe I just didn’t know what in the world was going on. I couldn’t for the life of me  figure out why she was giving me four, FOUR! macchiatos.

I love coffee, but surely I couldn’t down four macchiatos. I was a little intimidated by the scene and slightly embarrassed by my huge order of so much coffee.

No wonder my order came up to 36 birr!!

Thank goodness for friends who would take two macchiatos off my hands.

I ended up getting three – one a double and two singles for my friends.

I inhaled mine and was in heaven.

It was the BEST macchiato I’ve ever had and will treasure the taste as long as I live.

Viva Ethiopia! Next time I go to Ethiopia I’m learning numbers!!

P.S. I was in Ethiopia this month with Save the Children. Don’t miss a single post about my country observations about frontline health workers.