Ogl350 Ethiopia

Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country located on the African continent. The culture and history of this
country span across millennia, and its borders have expanded and contracted several times. The
Ethiopian identity dates to 10 B.C. with the founding of the Ethiopian Kingdom. Ethiopia is the
only African country that was not colonized, although Italy did stage a brief occupation (South
Africn History Online, n.d.). This is a source of national pride and identity. These were facts that
I kept in mind as I dined at Café Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant in Tempe.
Ethiopian food centers around a type of flatbread called injera. This is traditionally made
with a grain called teff, which is the smallest grain in the world. I was excited to try the
traditional way of eating, using pieces of injera to scoop up a bite of food from a communal
plate. This type of eating signals the collective nature of Ethiopian culture (Evans, 2018). One
thing I love about Ethiopian food is that it is usually served with a variety of different dishes in
small portions. This was great for me because I can rarely decide on just one dish in other
restaurants and want to try a little of everything.
Before going, I did some research and found that doro wat is the national food. Naturally,
I had to try this dish. It is a slightly spicy dish with a depth of savory flavors. When prepared
traditionally, it is a specific and time-consuming process usually reserved for special occasions.
The chicken is cut into 12 pieces representing the 12 apostles, which harks back to Ethiopia's
religious history (Weins, n.d.). Archeology has shown that Christianity was in Ethiopia as early
as 313 CE (Lawler, 2019). It is the only African country that was not introduced to Christianity
through western sources. Today, over 60 percent of Ethiopians are Christian with 43% practicing
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (Evans, 2018).

There are many vegan dishes in Ethiopian cuisine such as shiro wat, a thick paste like
soup made with ground chickpeas and spices, eaten with injera. This was one of my favorite
dishes. Another favorite was gomen, collard greens cooked with garlic, onion, and lemon. The
other vegan dish I ordered is called fosolia, a spicy mix of green beans and carrots cooked with
tomatoes and onions. Onions are in almost every dish in Ethiopian cuisine. Not just some sliced
onions added for flavor, but pounds of onions finely chopped and cooked for hours to become
the base of sauces, as seen in the preparation of doro wat. The abundance of vegan foods can be
attributed in some regard to the Orthodox Ethiopian tradition of not eating meat products on
certain days of the week (Mohr, 2021). In this agriculturally based society, onions are an
especially important crop for poor rural farmers (Kloman, 2014).
Coffee is an important staple of Ethiopian social interactions. There is a coffee ceremony
where green coffee beans are roasted over a fire and then ground and brewed. It results in a rich
deep coffee flavor. I had Ethiopian coffee, though it was not prepared in the traditional ceremony
fashion, and I greatly enjoyed it. Coffee is often offered to friends and strangers as a display of
hospitality and generosity (Weins, n.d.). Coffee beans are grown in the Ethiopian highlands and
play an important role in the economy. Some also regard Ethiopia as the birthplace of coffee
(Bhatt, 2015).
Ethiopia is a remarkably diverse country with over 80 ethnic tribes and 87 distinct ethnic
languages (Evans, 2018). While there is an overwhelming sense of national pride, there is also
division among ethnic lines. Politically, the Ethiopian states are formed on an ethnic basis
believing this allows for ethnic autonomy in each state (Evans, 2018). In urban areas there is a
rich diversity as people move from rural areas to find work. A consequence of this socio-political
system is that there are times when the strong ethnicity causes clashes, such as the current
fighting between the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government. This crisis
has led to charges of genocide and ethnic cleansing and is rapidly resulting in famine (Waal,
2021). This current conflict was preceded by the Eritrean conflict which resulted in its
independence from Ethiopia. It is important to note; however, these regional conflicts do not
necessarily overshadow the population's national identity and for the most part Ethiopians adhere
to a culture of unity (Evans, 2018).
The first thing I noted walking into the restaurant was the warm welcome and friendliness
of the staff. Despite a long history that includes tragic conflict and famine, or perhaps because of
it, Ethiopian people are warm, generous, and friendly. Ethiopians are traditionalists who hold
great regard for their elders and hold a high-power distance. There is gender inequality and
distinct gender roles indicating a masculine culture (Mohr, 2021). Ethiopia is a high context
culture where it is polite to initially refuse an offer, like coffee or food, before accepting it.
I came away from this activity and the intervening research with a better understanding
and appreciation for Ethiopian culture and people. Eating at Café Lalibela is an activity I have
wanted to do for a while and this assignment was the perfect motivation. It made the experience
richer because it inspired a desire to learn about the origins of not only the unique dishes but also
the country and the people.

References
Bhatt, N. (2015, June 12). The History & Legend of Ethiopian Coffee & the Story Behind Misty
Valley. Retrieved from Perfectdailygrind.com: https://perfectdailygrind.com/2015/06/the-
history-legend-of-ethiopian-coffee-the-story-behind-misty-valley/
Evans, N. (2018). Ethiopian Culture. Retrieved from cultureatlas.sbs.com.au:
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/ethiopian-culture/ethiopian-culture-core-concepts
Kloman, H. (2014, September 1). Ethiopian Food: Mosab Across America. Retrieved from
Ethiopianfood.wordpress.com: https://ethiopianfood.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/in-
ethiopian-cooking-onions-rule/
Lawler, A. (2019, December 10). Church Unearthed in Ethiopia Rewrites the History of
Christianity in Africa. Retrieved from smithsonianmag.com:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/church-unearthed-ethiopia-rewrites-history-
christianity-africa-180973740/
Mohr, A. (2021). Ethiopia. Retrieved from Everyculture.com: https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-
Ga/Ethiopia.html
South Africn History Online. (n.d.). Ethiopia. Retrieved from sahistory.org.za:
https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/ethiopia
Waal, A. d. (2021, May 29). Ethiopia Tigray crisis: Warnings of genocide and famine. Retrieved
from bbc.com: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57226551
Weins, M. (n.d.). Ethiopian Food - The ONE DISH You Have To Eat in ETHIOPIA! Retrieved
from youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Op3lumuj7Q

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Ethiopia

I kept in mind as I dined at Café Lalibela, an Ethiopian restaurant in Tempe.

restaurants and want to try a little of everything.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity (Evans, 2018).

especially important crop for poor rural farmers (Kloman, 2014).

Coffee is an important staple of Ethiopian social interactions. There is a coffee ceremony

to a culture of unity (Evans, 2018).

the country and the people.

Valley. Retrieved from Perfectdailygrind.com: https://perfectdailygrind.com/2015/06/the-

Evans, N. (2018). Ethiopian Culture. Retrieved from cultureatlas.sbs.com.au:

Christianity in Africa. Retrieved from smithsonianmag.com:

Mohr, A. (2021). Ethiopia. Retrieved from Everyculture.com: https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-

South Africn History Online. (n.d.). Ethiopia. Retrieved from sahistory.org.za:

from bbc.com: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57226551

from youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Op3lumuj7Q

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