Everything being so completely different from what you are used to, can sometimes be as daunting as it is fascinating. Trying Ethiopian national foods and drinks may be a case in point. On top of the effect of altitude change and jet lag, the exotic diet may initially upset your system. However, once you get over the adjustment period, you must certainly try them, and if you take a liking to them, watch out! They can be addictive!

Injera is the staple all over the highlands and in the towns elsewhere. It is soft, thin chapatti-like bread made from the grass-like grain teff (Eragrostis Teff), barley or sorghum. Ethiopia is the only country in the world to use teff in this way. Injera always comes with Wott (somewhat like stew) which can be made from any kind of meat, fish, lentils, peas or chickpeas. The best of these and the national delicacy is Doro Wott (chicken stew). A variety of vegetarian types of wott are served on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the country as part of religious custom. Tej (honey mead) is the drink with which to savour these Ethiopian dishes. In addition there are bottled Ethiopian beers, local wine and mineral water that most find to their liking. Tella, a traditional beer brewed from barley or corn and hops, is a local drink generally unavailable in modern hotels and restaurants. Fermented sorghum known as borde is a dual purpose food-drink among Ethiopia’s lowland peoples and pastoralists.