Visiting Ethiopia? Learn the proper etiquettes: Part I

You probably consider yourself a polite person until suddenly you are amongst strangers in a new culture where some or most of what you say and do seems to upset someone. Here are a few things you should consider to make your stay in Ethiopia more pleasant.


Greetings

It is considered polite to lightly touch your right elbow with your left hand while shaking the other person's hand. If the other person is significantly older than you bow slightly at the same time. In case you're meeting more than one person, always start greetings with the oldest one.


On the street

If u meet someone you know on the streets, it's only polite to stop and greet them properly. Family is the most important relationship in Ethiopia so ask about their family. This may take up to 5 minutes. And don't be confused if people ask you repeatedly how you are doing, that's just Ethiopian culure.


Dining

We Ethiopians are very fond of injera and eat it almost daily. Injera is eaten with fingers so wash your hands before. Sure you can ask for a fork or some other cutlery, but you can count on somebody laughing at you or making a comment. Always use your right hand for eating (btw this rule also applies for lefties). In communal eating, which is very popular, you eat what's infront of you. Only when your side of the plate is empty, that you reach further. Keep your mouth closed and don't make noise when you chew. Others will most likely take offence. No matter how good the wot (stew) is, do not stick your fingers in your mouth and lick. At least not in public.

Gursha (someone else feeds you with their fingers) is a sign of hospitality and respect and it's only polite to gratefully accept it. I personally don't like gursha so I try to politely decline the offer. This doesn't always work though.

Eating on the move is very uncommon. This is nowadays changing in Addis. Sharing food is very traditional and people often say 'enibla' which is an invitation for another person/s to join them.


Coffee

Yes, coffee was first discovered in Keffa, Ethiopia. So don't offend us by saying that this is news to you. We also grow some of the best quality beans in the world. Coffee ceremony often includes the roasting of beans on a charcoal oven and burning of incence. If the incence makes it difficult to breathe, appologize and leave the room for a while. Or ask if it's possible to open the door or window. The roasting of the coffee beans also produces an aromatic smoke which guests are often offered to inhale.

Coffee almost always follows a meal. We are not big on desserts, so with coffee we offer popcorns, peanuts, 'kolo', sesame halva, or freshly home made bread. Cookies have also become popular lately. Don't worry that the 'sini' or coffee cup is too small, you'll be offered a second and third round. Coffee may be taken with sugar, salt, or even clarified butter in some regions.

Reviewing Taste of Addis


The six of us and a little boy made it to the event on october 25th, 2014. From the main road, finding Tropical Gardens was not that hard. Once we arrived at Elephant Cafe, we asked strangers for directions. Crossing the road we walked for a while in what seemed to be a quiet residential neighbourhood. There were no posted direction guidance to Tropical Gardens. When we saw a group of caucassians walking ahead of us we decided to tail them. I mean that's where they're heading to, right? Organizers of this event pleeease do something about directions, may be put up a few signs. And so we were there around 3pm.

At the enterance we paid an enterance fee of 50Birr each. Once inside, the first thing we saw was a paid children's play ground. Walking past, we came across the first food stands. And walking down the stairs there was a lot more.

                                  Image borrowed from Taste of Addis Facebook page


It was a very hot day and all the seats under the umbrellas were taken. We managed to find a spot under the shadow of a tree. Although it was cool and refreshing to sit on the grass, we would have preferred to have had a picnic blanket with us. By then we were all famished so we went to get something to eat and drink. That day the price cap per dish was 50Birr.

Our first stop was Burger Shack but we were told because power is out they couldn't make burgers or fries. We looked around and the only place that was putting out warm food was Santorini, the greek restaurant. From there we bought a couple of the moussakas (which btw turned out to be AMAZING) and souvlakis. We found the beef in the souvlakis to be very chewy and lacking in flavor. But I have to say we ate it all since we were famished.

The power kept going out. And so our choices were limited. To get drinks we stopped at Ambo's stall and bought a bottle of Flavored Ambo. We were offered a five minute foot massage for each bottle bought, my cousin accepted the offer (oh and yes she enjoyed it very much). The rest of us moved on to the tej stand, where a disposible glass of tej cost 30 Birr. For me, this could be because it had been a while since I last had any tej, but I thought it was a little too sweet.

When we passed by, the Yemeni stand caught my eyes. I hadn't tried Yemeni cuisine before. So we got a plate of what I now assume was Mundi, marinated lamb with rice and spicy sauce on the side. The lamb was well seasoned and very tender. Inspite of the sauce being a little to hot, the dish was delicious.

The music was constantly on and off. So the next time it was on (which meant that the power's back), the younger ones in our group went to get Burger Shack french fries and came back with two plates which cost 30 Birr each. But of course we all had to taste. I have to admit, having heard so much about this place, I had higher expectations. The fries were crunchy on the outside, as they should be, but too cold on the inside as if they were still frozen. We had to give them a break though, it must have been tough enough to put out anything with power outage every few minutes.

We didn't have much room for desert anymore, but we had to try the smoothies we saw on our way in. The guava (perhaps mixed with mango) smothey was rather impressive and very refreshing. Another positive from this event was that the bathrooms were tidy and had sufficient supply of toilet paper.

Unfortunately verything comes to an end and we had to leave. On our exit, we came to realize that the party was just starting. The crowd was getting thicker by the minute and it was almost impossible to find a parking spot by 6 p.m. I was genuinely surprised by the huge turnout and for a moment considered staying longer and to enjoy the evening. We had heard there'd be a concert. As we finally left, we decided that the next time we attend this event, there won't be any underage children in the mix :)