What makes this country so special!
BUNA – coffee * Enjoy the world’s unchallenged best coffee in Ethiopia! In the highlands around Harar und Mizan Teferi excellent coffee is cultivated under perfect conditions. Hence gathering over some cups of coffee is an essential part of everyday life, traditionally celebrated with the coffee ceremony: The hosting lady will select the best beans, roast them over the embers, crush them and finally boil them to coffee three times. Incense on the glowing coal concludes the ceremony – which you should not miss to join at least once!
INJEERA – national dish * Shaped like a huge pancake with a spongy surface the taste of injeera is slightly sour. Injeera is served with various viscous sauces, meat or vegetables which get placed in the middle of it. Most Ethiopians start the day with injeera, eat it for lunch and also at the end of the day. However sceptics do not need to worry: There is enough pizza and pasta available in the country…
TRESEGA – raw meat * Raw meat is considered a very special delicacy. Cut into bite-sized pieces Ethiopians eat it pure flavoured only with spicy sauces. A common legend says that raw meat gave the Ethiopian soldiers the strength to beat the Italian army in the battle of Adua in 1896.
SA’AT – time * Time is special in Ethiopia. The day starts at dawn, 6:00 a.m. which is 0:00 Ethiopian time. Consequently lunch is at 6:00 and sunset around 12:00. There are 13 month in the year and New Year is celebrated on September 11th. Confusing? Not at all! Take the opportunity to celebrate New Year‘s Eve twice a year!
RUCHA – running * Haile Gebre Selassie set 26 world records running for Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the country of runners! Every year around November Addis Ababa‘s city marathon, The Great Run, takes place and everybody joins in. It is belived in that due to training in high altitudes Ethiopian long distance runners are unbeatable. Haile Gebre Selassie himself trains 3000 m above sea level on the Entoto mountain chain next to Addis Ababa.
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