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Ethiopia is as individual in its food and drink as it is in so many other aspects of daily life. While the outside world thinks that famine is a permanent concern in Ethiopia, the people in the majority of the country continue to produce their daily sustenance in much the same way as in every other African nation. The staple fare of the Ethiopian home is injera, a pancake made from a locally grown cereal called t'ef whose batter is fermented for three days before being cooked over a large open wood fire. A typical meal will consist of a large injera, the size of a round coffee table, on which are placed any other dishes that may be available - boiled vegetables, spicy sauces, milk curds and, on special days, chicken, beef, lamb or fish. The most commonly found dish is called shiro wat, a paste made from chickpeas which is eaten at any meal of the day. The celebration national dish is doro wat ('wat' means sauce or stew) which consists of pieces of chicken and hard-boiled eggs served in a hot sauce made with a spice called berbera. The master of the house will sit down to eat first along with any guests present, followed by any other adults and then the children last. Bread is a common extra accompaniment in many areas. Apart from water, pepsi and orange, the two cold Ethiopian drinks to be found everywhere are t'eller and t'ej. T'eller is a ubiquitous local beer with a unique flavour found in the many t'eller bets in every village while t'ej is more often reserved for special occasions and is a potent and cloudy honey-wine. The national drink is coffee, originating in Ethiopia and providing one of the major exports of the country. Every meal will, where possible, conclude with the coffee ceremony, when green coffee beans are washed, roasted, ground and boiled in water, all this taking place on a bed of fresh grass and in front of the family or guests. v Have you signed our Guestbook? Email | Top
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Challoner's, Fasiledes, Amersham, Buckinghamshire