Ethiopian cuisine

Fortunately I like Ethiopian food, which is injera served with the sauce of choice. My favorites are tibs (lamb), shiro (chick peas) and fasting food (a variety of vegetables and lentils). Unfortunately there isn't much variety. Ethiopians often just eat injera as a meal. And the faranji (foreigner) food is pizza and pasta of the school cafeteria variety.  I'm dreaming of a giant grass fed steak!

Ethiopians also have a funny custom. If you are their guest, they want to make sure you get enough to eat, and that you eat the best morsels. So they will grab a piece of injera, dunk it in your favorite sauces and feed it to you! The trick is to gracefully bite it from their fingers, without biting a finger! And it's bad luck to only eat one bite, so you get fed again! (Thank you Lonely Planet for preparing me for this wacky exchange).

I tried Ethiopian wine and it was undrinkable. My guide said people often add Coke or Pepsi (!!!) Luckily the beer is decent. I've been drinking Dashen. I also tried 'tej', called honey wine but really more of a honey beer. Not bad. And I had to try the aracki, a grain liquor made from millet. Strong, not much flavor, similar to grappa.

The best thing about Ethiopian cuisine is the coffee. The traditional coffee ceremony is a labour of love. Grass is spread in front of a small table. A woman lights a charcoal fire and roasts the beans. The intense aroma mixes with the frankincense smoking beside the table. The beans are then ground by hand with a mortar and pestle and placed in a special clay pot. Water is boiled over the charcoal and then poured over the coffee grounds. A bit of plastic wire placed in the spout acts as a filter and a small cup is filled and offered with sugar. A second and third cup follow. In modern society, usually only one cup is made, and additional cups must be ordered. In hotels, mediocre coffee is served without ceremony with breakfast or when in a hurry and this is called American coffee! My guide said that the coffee ceremony is performed every day and is a time for families or friends to discuss important issues. Single people will enjoy their coffee ceremony in a small cafe or on the sidewalk. I think I'm going to have to create a coffee ceremony at home!