Taste of Ethiopia

Ethiopia has become the hub for travel within the North Eastern part of Africa. As we enter week two of this remarkable journey in Addis Ababa, where the city is constantly alive with sounds, whether it’s beautiful music from the weddings or late-night traffic; the place is finally starting to feel familiar. 

We were slowly immersed into the culture where we had a taste of the bread called injera, which is made of out of a locally cultivated grain, tef, along with a variety of spicy meats. These wonderful new flavours were a delight to our palate. Our experiences at Yod Abyssinia and Totot, two of the ethnic restaurants located in the centre of the city, Bole, were ones to remember. The experience started out with being seated around a table where the injera was served with collard greens and cottage cheese, along with meat dishes such as kitfo and tibs, in a vessel called the mesob. It was communal dining where we ate with our hands in one plate. It was an interesting experience and the flavours and aromas of the meal were truly exquisite.

Besides having excellent food and great conversation, we were entertained throughout the meal with dancers and singers. We saw performances and dances that represented various regions in Ethiopia including the Oromo and Eskista dances. The evening ended with a traditional Ethiopian wedding on the stage. The bride was covered from head to toe and the groom was the first one who could see her. During weddings, it’s customary to serve raw meat as it’s a form of delicacy. Though this wedding was staged, we partook in some of the festivities in a real one during our stay at the Wabe Shebele hotel. ​