Here are some Ethiopian facts…
- September 11 th is celebrated as the New Year here.
- Their calender has 13 month!Each month has 30 days except the last one which has 5 or 6 days.
- Ethiopia counts its clock in the reverse.Like 6pm would be 12 noon and 12 noon would be 6am! I still can’t follow it!!
- The word coffee is said to have originated from the Ethiopian word Kaffa. This is the place where coffee is said to have been discovered and hence it is also called the homeland of Coffee.
- Addis Ababa is the highest city in Africa and unlike the rest of the place, the climate here is very cool.
- There are 80 different languages spoken in Ethiopia!
- Amharic is the official language and the kids learn this along with English in School.
- Abebe Bikila was the first Ethiopian to win a Gold in the Olympics. He finished the race running barefoot!
Ethiopian Cuisine:
Their cuisine is said to be an exotic spicy mix of vegetables,slow simmered meat / grain stews and fresh meat sautes.The dietary restrictions due to religion and the availability of food gives this cuisine a wide berth for vegetarian dishes.
Dining in Ethiopian homes is a communal affair. Large platters of food are shared .Injera is placed with the other dishes and it is used to mop up the side dishes and stews.Eating from a common place signifies the bond of loyalty ,family and friendship.
Some of the famous dishes :
- Injera – A type of flat bread made of teff flour.
- Shiro – A dish made with powdered chick pea and spiced up with berbere sauce.
- Gomen-A sort of stir fry of collard greens and spices
- Atkilt wot is a delicious vegetable combo of cabbage, carrots, and potatoes simmered in a light sauce
-
Fasolia -String beans sautéed with carrots and caramelized onions.
- Inguday tibs -Mushrooms sautéed with onions
- Azifa -Green lentil salad
- Kik alicha-Split pea stew often cooked with a light turmeric sauce