In the late 19th century, the cosmopolitan city of Harar in present-day Ethiopia was thriving as a bustling commercial hub, renowned for its vibrant trade routes, coffee production, and cultural diversity. Around the same period, a young French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, was making waves in the literary world. By the age of just 20, Rimbaud had already created poetic masterpieces that would later solidify his reputation as a pioneer of modern literature. Victor Hugo, one of France‘s literary giants, famously referred to him “ an infant Shakespeare.”
After his brief yet influential literary career, Rimbaud became disillusioned with literature and abandoned the literary world in 1874. He then pursued a life of wanderlust that eventually led him to the city of Harar. He quickly immersed himself in the region ‘s culture, learning local languages and forming relationships with the people of Harar. The city of Harar, one of the oldest in Ethiopia and a key center of Islamic learning, famous for its unique coffee, which is renowned for its distinctive flavor notes of fruit, chocolate, and blueberry. Rimbaud was captivated by Harar coffee and the city’s unique culture and geographic position as a crossroads between Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Despite their seemingly unrelated worlds, Europe and Harar experienced a unique intersection during a dynamic period in history, characterized by coffee trade and cultural vibrancy of Harar and the revolutionary literary works of Rimbaud. After leaving the literary scene, the French poet found solace in Harar, where he secured a position with the French coffee trading company, César Tian and Bardey, overseeing the firm‘s coffee sourcing and export operation in the city .
In Harar, Rimbaud's restless spirit seemed to find a sense of peace as the poet-turned-merchant discovered tranquility in the city and its coffee.
We are honored to offer a coffee steeped in history and vibrant with flavors that inspired Rimbaud- a testament to Harar’s rich legacy and its unmatched coffee culture.
