Indigenous coffee leaf brew and Engere brewing practices, and consumption patterns in South Ethiopia

Traditional beverages such as coffee leaf brew and Engere are widely consumed by local communities in the Gofa Zone of South Ethiopia Regional State. This study aimed to systematic documentation of the previously underexplored traditional brewing practices, ingredient compositions, consumption patterns, and perceived medicinal values of coffee leaf brew and Engere among the Gofa communities. A community-based cross-sectional household survey involving 385 respondents, complemented by focus group discussions, was conducted using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 24. The findings revealed that 74% of respondents primarily use coffee leaves to prepare the brew, commonly combining them with spices, herbs, and sweeteners. In contrast, Engere is prepared differently: 37.7% of households reported using coffee leaf brew and milk as the main ingredients, with minimal additions of spices or herbs. More than half of the respondents (55.8%) consuming coffee leaf brew as a staple and stimulating beverage, whereas Engere was primarily valued for its perceived strength-enhancing and medicinal roles. Most participants (64.4%) reported no adverse health effects associated with coffee leaf brew consumption, and all respondents (100%) indicated no health-related problems linked to Engere. These findings show that coffee leaf brew and Engere are significant indigenous beverages with recognized functional and medicinal attributes and a long history of safe community-level consumption. This study calls for the continued documentation of this indigenous brewing knowledge to ensure its preservation, and for detailed biochemical, phytochemical, and safety studies to enable the standardization, optimization, and broader use of these culturally valuable functional beverages.