YOD Abyssinia Cultural Restaurant
We experienced a traditional Ethiopian meal Friday evening and had a wonderful time. Everything about it was unlike anything I have ever done before, yet I loved learning about different culture: the food, dance, traditions, and more! The place was jam packed with people, and we sat very close to each other. We were served three "trays" of food onto our mesobes or large basket trays, and then we all shared. During and after dinner, there was great Ethiopian music and dancing. Here's picture of our food, and then a little description about their food, coffee, and traditional music and dance.
Food
The Ethiopian national dish is called wat. It is a hot spicy stew accompanied by injera (traditional large spongy pancake or like sourdough flatbread which is about 20 inches in diameter and made of teff flour and water). Teff is unique to the country and is grown on the Ethiopian highlands. There are many varieties of wat, e.g. chicken, beef, lamb, vegetables, lentils, and ground split peas stewed with hot spice called Berbere. I love love love Berbere, and I'm bringing some home!!
Berbere is made of dried red hot pepper, herbs, spices, dried onions, dried garlic and salt. Wat is served by placing it on top of the injera which is served in a mesob. The food is eaten with fingers by tearing off a piece of injera and using it to grab or scoop food in the wat.
We had a variety of food to choose from: beef, chicken, vegetables, split peas, boiled egg, and cow stomach ( yeah.....it was not that great!) Luckily, we did not have the raw meat option!
Ethiopians eat exclusively with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. Utensils are rarely used with Ethiopian cuisine, however I may have used a fork a few times!!!
Coffee holds a legitimate claim as originating from Ethiopia, where it is a critical component of the economy and is a central part of Ethiopian beverages. The coffee ceremony is the traditional serving of coffee, usually after a big meal. We were able to experience this during our traditional meal! It often involves the use of a jebena, a clay coffee pot in which the coffee is boiled. The coffee is put in to the jebena, boiled with water, and then served with small cups called si'ni. Coffee is usually served with sugar but is also served with salt in many parts of Ethiopia. Snacks such as popcorn (fendisha) or toasted barley (kollo) are often served with the coffee, and is accompanied by the burning of frankincense which we also experienced! The popcorn was awesome, and I showed our Ethiopian friends a new way to eat it - with Berbere powder!! They thought it was okay, but the waitress definitely curled her nose at it!
Music and Dance
Every evening Monday to Monday, live performance of songs of the diverse Ethiopian ethnic groups flow from the stage by untiring singers and dancers accompanied by traditional musical instruments. The Oromo, the Tigrigna, Gurage, the Amhara and other Ethiopian ethnic group dances and music are included on the daily live performance.
During the final dance, a few of the audience members were called to the stage. They
picked Ryan! He was a great sport and did a fabulous job trying the Ethiopian dance moves. He only pulled a shoulder out!
Found this interestin on the back of our menu:
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