Wonderful and Delicious Food and Hospitality

Of all the experiences we had on the trip to Ethiopia, my favorite was being invited to peoples’ homes and getting to eat lots of food and hang out. We were invited for dinners and lunches and always overwhelmed with home cooked meals and hospitality. We ate traditional fare mostly, shiro, injera, doro wat (chicken stew), vegetables (carrots and cabbage), bread, eggs, beer, and coffee. The first home we went to was my teaching partner, Genet’s, for dinner. Kidist did the coffee ceremony for us there. I don’t have any pictures of the wonderful meal that Genet made, but it was delicious.

Kidist pouring coffee for the coffee ceremony at her family home

 The second home we went to was Tedalech’s, Barbara’s teaching partner for lunch. Tedalech and her sister made an amazing meal and presented us with a traditional coffee ceremony. We also had an Ethiopian liquor that tasted like ouzo and was quite powerful.

Tedalech and her sister

The beautiful meal they prepared

Injera under shiro and an assortment of veggies and rice

Mulu invited us to her home for lunch the following week. Mulu was Stacy’s teaching partner and is a young, independent woman. She has her own apartment in a complex. The choice to live on one’s own as a woman is still a social-demographic trend gaining traction in Ethiopia.

The meal mulu prepared

Stacy, Kidist, me, Elaine, and Dag

Sisay the bajaj driver and Elizabeth at Mulu's

The last home we were invited to was Elizabeth’s (pronounced Elza-bet in Amharic), Elaine’s teaching partner and the principal of Negat Kokeb. Elizabeth made another beautiful meal and invited us all to participate in the coffee ceremony, grinding the coffee became a team effort.

Mulu at Elizabeth's doing the coffee ceremony

Me in Elizabeth's living room with the dinner meal behind me

Being invited into homes was fun and so special, we were able to not only see another culture but participate with joy. I am excited for our Ethiopian teaching partners to come to Vermont so we can share our foods and culture with them.