Joshua and I were introduced to Ethiopian Cuisine Saturday evening. We planned to have our Valentine dinner out at an Ethiopian restaurant and what a memorable evening it will be for many years to come. Hopefully more Ethiopian dinners out will follow! =) We both really enjoyed our meal.
Here are some pictures:
(Note: Many of my description of items comes from the Bradt Guide to Ethiopia. A book given to me by Joshua that I have found to be a great help and Wikipedia.)
Ethiopians eat family style all sharing and eating off of one central plate. Also there is NO silverware. Everything is eaten with your hands. This is accomplished by tearing off pieces of injera- a large pancake shaped substance made from tef, a nutty tasting grain that is unique to Ethiopia. The tef dough is fermented for up to three days before it is cooked, the result of which is a foamy spongy texture and a slightly sour taste.
We ordered two different entrees: Doro wat and Yebeg Tibs. Doro wat is the official national dish of Ethiopia. It is the central item on the plate. Doro wat is Amharic for chicken stew. Chicken legs are typically marinated in lemon juice then sautéed in butter and seasoned with garlic, onions, fresh ginger and then the pieces are coated with red pepper sauce and cooked gently until tender and served with a hard-boiled egg. Yebeg tibs are cubed lamb sautéed with onion,rosemary,tomato,jalapeno pepper,served with vegetables and spicy awaze sauce on the side.
Pictured above is Baklava- a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped walnuts or pistachios and sweetened with syrup or honey. (a common Ethiopian dessert)
We finished off the evening with a wonderful Ethiopian espresso. Coffee is very central in Ethiopian culture as it is said to be the birth place of coffee. Traditionally coffee is served in a special coffee ceremony where the fresh coffee beans are roasted right there and then ground, and boiled in a special clay pot. Now that is a fresh cup of coffee! While we dined the manager and another lady whom I think may have been the owner stopped by our table to see how we were doing. We were invited to come back for a special coffee ceremony that they have every Sunday from 12:00- 6:00 in the afternoon.
We hope that this small introduction to Ethiopian culture will open up many continued opportunities to expand our understanding. We are excited for how God continues to prepare us for joining our hearts with this amazing country.
4 Comments
February 18, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I’m so glad that you guys had an enjoyable experience. It sounds like something John and I should try.
February 20, 2008 at 11:53 pm
No comments on your experience of the food… did you like it? Was it too spicy? Can we come next time? lol
February 21, 2008 at 12:10 am
On the food. Yes, we both loved the food. It is similar to Indian curries in some ways. The texture of the injera is a little funny and different than anything you’ve ever tasted. We were discussing if we’d be able to eat like this for a week or so and I definitely think it would take getting used to.
On the spicyness, we like spicy foods so we didn’t think it was too spicy. The Doro wat comes in 2 varieties kai (hot) and alicha (mild) we got the hot one and really liked it.
April 24, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Hi, it’s the Beg wot – or lamb stew – that comes in hot or mild. Key-yebeg-wot and Alicha-yebeg-wot. The doro is never made in alicha or it would become our KFC. :O) I’m so glad you enjoyed our food. Cheers !