Ethiopia is located
on the Horn of Africa

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is truly a Land of& discovery - brilliant and beautiful, secretive, mysterious and extraordinary. Above all things, it is a country of great antiquity, with a culture and traditions dating back more than 3,000 years.

Ethiopia, like many other African countries, is a multi-ethnic state. Many of the distinctions between them have been blurred by intermarriage over the years but many also remain. The differences are also seen in the number of languages spoken; 83, falling into four main language groups: Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilo-Saharan. There are 200 different dialects as well!

There are approximately 80 million people living in Ethiopia, the number of ethnic Oromo accounts about 25.5 million (34.5 %) while Amhara is 19.8 million (26.9%), Somali 4.5 million (6.2 %),Tigre 4.4 million (6.1%).

The Semitic languages of Ethiopia are related to both Hebrew and Arabic, and derive from Ge'ez, the ecclesiastical (Orthodox Christian) language.

The principle Semitic language spoken in the north-western and central part of the country is Amharic, which is also the official language of the modern state. Other main languages are Tigrigna, Guraginya, Adarinya, Afan Oromo, Somalinya, Sidaminya, Afarinya, Gumuz, Berta and Anuak.

           
“approximately 80 million
people...speaking 83 languages”

The Tigrigna- and Amharic-speaking people of the north and centre of the country are mainly agriculturalists, tilling the soil with ox-drawn ploughs like medieval farmers and growing teff (a local millet), wheat, barley, maize and sorghum. The most southerly of the Semitic speakers, the Gurage, are also farmers and herders, but many are also craftsmen. The Gurage grow enset, 'false banana', whose root, stem and leaf stalks provide a carbohydrate which can be made into porridge or unleavened bread.

The Cushitic Oromo, formerly nomadic pastoralists, are now mainly engaged in agriculture and, in the more arid areas, cattle-breeding. The Somali, also pastoral nomads, forge a living in hot and arid bush country, while the Afar, semi-nomadic pastoralists and fishermen, are the only people who can survive in the hostile environment of the Danakil Depression. Living near the Omo River are the Mursi, well-known for the large clay discs that the women wear inserted in a slit in their lower lips.

the Mursi are well-known for the large
clay discs that the women wear inserted
in a slit in their lower lips

The people of Ethiopia wear many different types of clothing. The traditional dress of the Christian highland peasantry has traditionally been of white cotton cloth. Since the time of Emperor Tewodros 11 (mid-1800s), men have worn long, jodhpur-like trousers, a tight-fitting shirt and a shamma (loose wrap).

The Muslims of Harar, by contrast, wear very colourful dress, the men in shortish trousers and a coloured wrap and the women in fine dresses of red, purple and black. The lowland Somali and Afar wear long, brightly coloured cotton wraps, and the Oromo and Bale people are to be seen in the bead-decorated leather garments that reflect their economy, which is based on livestock. Costumes seem to reflect the climates where the different groups live - highlanders, for instance, - use heavy cloth capes and wraparound blankets to combat the night chill. In the heat of the lowland plains, light cotton cloths are what men and women wear.

a young man playing the
k'ra, a traditional instrument
of Ethiopia

Traditional dress, though often now replaced by Western fashion, may still be seen throughout much of the countryside. National dress is usually worn for festivals, when streets and meeting-places are transformed into a sea of white as finely woven cotton dresses, wraps decorated with coloured woven borders, and suits are worn. A distinctive style of dress is found among the Oromo horsemen of the central highlands, who, on ceremonial days such as Maskal, attire themselves in lions' manes or baboon-skin headdresses and, carrying hippo-hide spears and shields, ride down to the main city squares to participate in the parades.

Ethiopians are understandably proud of the range of their traditional costumes. The jewellery, the hair styles and the embroidery of the dresses indicate the differences. The women of Amhara and Tigray wear dozens of plaits (sheruba), tightly braided to the head and billowing out at the shoulders. The women of Harar part their hair in the middle and make a bun behind each ear. Hamer, Geleb, Bume and Karo men form a ridge of plaited hair and clay to hold their feathered headwear in place. Arsi women have fringes and short, bobbed hair. Bale girls have the same, but cover it with a black head cloth, while young children often have their heads shaved.

Jewellery in silver and gold is worn by both Muslims and Christians, often with amber or glass beads incorporated. Heavy brass, copper and ivory bracelets and anklets are also worn.

Ethiopia also has a rich tradition of both secular and religious music, singing and dancing, and these together form an important part of Ethiopian cultural life. Singing accompanies many agricultural activities, as well as religious festivals and ceremonies surrounding life's milestones - birth, marriage and death.

The unique eskista dancing shows real skill and takes a lot of physical talent. The incredibly fast shoulder jerks and body movements are intricate and the different dances represent the different tribes and all tell a story.

The national dish of Ethiopia is wat, which is a spicy stew. Wat, can be made with chicken, beef, fish, or be vegetarian (using lentils or chickpeas as the main ingredient). For most Ethiopians, who are either Orthodox Christian or Muslim, eating pork is forbidden. Therefore many traditional recipes are pork free. As the Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes a number of fasting periods, including Wednesdays, Fridays, and the entire Lenten season, Ethiopian cuisine also contains many vegetarian meals.

Spices are an important part of Ethiopian food. Berbere is a red paste made of spices and herbs and is used in the making of wat. The latter is usually served on top of injera, a large flatbread unique to Ethiopia. Normally injera is made from teff, to which it owes its distinct taste, a kind of grain grown in Ethiopia. The bread dough is fermented for several days in a process similar to that used to make sourdough bread (grains such as sorghum, millet, teff, and wheat grow well in the temperate climate).

It is traditional to eat sitting round a mesob, a tabletop usually woven from straw. Before the food is ready to be served, a basin of water and soap is brought out for washing hands. The top is taken off the mesob and the food is placed in it. Ethiopians eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to scoop up the wat. No utensils are used. Diners tear off a piece of injera, and then use it to scoop up or pinch off mouthfuls of food from a large shared platter. Once the meal is finished, the water and soap are brought back out for the hands to be washed again. Coffee, which originates from Ethiopia, also plays an important role.

Just as important is the ceremony which accompanies the serving of the coffee, playing an integral role in Ethiopian social and cultural life. The coffee beans are roasted in a pan over a charcoal stove. When the coffee beans have turned black, they are pounded in a pestle and mortar. The ground coffee is slowly stirred into the black clay coffee pot (the coffee is often strained through a fine sieve several times as this traditional method often makes for an uneven mixture). Following this procedure which can take half an hour the coffee is served in tiny cups. Coffee is drunk black but often with sugar and often served with snacks such as popcorn.

Wat (stew) and injera (flatbread),
is typical of Ethiopian cuisine

Ethiopian Injera Flatbread

This is a traditional Ethiopia flatbread cooked in a frying pan. It is usually made with teff flour, a very finely milled flour made from the seeds of teff grass. Millet flour from a health food shop will work fine, however. It's a delicious bread for serving with stews or tagines.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried active baking yeast
1.2L (2 pints) warm water (45 C)
600g (1 1/3 lb) finely ground millet flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Preparation method

Dissolve yeast in 60ml of the water. Allow to prove and add the remainder of the water and the millet flour. Stir until smooth and then cover. Allow to stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Stir the batter well and mix in the baking soda.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour about 75ml of the batter into the pan, turning to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about 1 minute. The bread should not brown but rather rise slightly and be very easy to remove. It is cooked only on one side. This top should be slightly moist. Remove to a platter and cool. Stack the cooked breads on a plate.