The Vegetarian Chronicles: Ethiopian Food

My introduction to Ethiopian food was accompanied with a guffaw of sorts. My parents, resident in New York, had mentioned in passing that they had enjoyed a weekend dinner at an Ethiopian eatery in Manhattan. Ethiopia, forever associated with one of the most dire famines of all time, was an unlikely source of culinary pleasure, or, at least I had thought.

Ethiopia indeed was brutalized by a famine in the 1980s. The horrors of what transpired in that African nation were brought home thanks to the efforts of several well-meaning pop stars in Europe and the United States. Because of this tragedy, the very idea of linking the words "food" and "Ethiopia" were incongruous to most, including me.

The disassociation is a misfortune, although certainly nowhere near as grave as anything that has stricken Ethiopia itself in recent years. For those of us who are constantly in search of satisfying vegetarian cuisine, Ethiopian food is supremely rewarding. My own initiation began in 2000 when my sister invited me to an Ethiopian restaurant in Washington D.C., a city that is home to so many of the Ethiopian diaspora. It was here that I sampled injera, a spongy bread that is used as an eating utensil (forks and knives are rarely dispensed in Ethiopian restaurants as the bread can be curled and used to gather the various dishes) along with such delights as shuro watt, kik alitcha and misir watt.

A true love arose that summer afternoon in D.C., one that would inspire me to sample Ethiopian cuisine in Rome, Paris and in my current city of Tempe, Arizona. It is here where I have the good fortune to live within walking distance of the Blue Nile, situated at 933 E. University Dr. Suite 112 Tempe, AZ 85281. The Blue Nile is owned by Abel, an affable Ethiopian expat and tended to by his lovely Kuwaiti wife. The two maintain the highest standards of professionalism, and I have never been disappointed in my many outings to their establishment. Another place for Ethiopian cuisine in Tempe is Lalibela; however, my strict loyalty to my first source of Ethiopian cuisine in Tempe has kept me from frequenting their rival, although I am sure that they offer excellent fare.

The spiciness of Ethiopian cuisine is well complemented with one of the many beers offered from that nation. Two I have had the good fortune to try are Harar and Hakim, both particularly pleasing, especially when imbibed along with the piquant food. As for Ethiopian wine, my samplings have been very limited. Ethiopian honey wine is frequently sold at Ethiopian restaurants and the treacly concoction is not to my liking, but may appeal to those who do not object to the super sweet.

Few countries have can boast a cuisine so rich that it would inspire me to make a pilgrimage to the nation itself, but Ethiopia, along with France, Italy, Korea, China, Japan, the nations of the Middle East and Greece, holds that distinction. Although I have not been to this country which hosts an ancient civilization, it is one of my top travel priorities. Never have I been disappointed by Ethiopian food and the quality of Ethiopian eateries in all the cities where I have sampled it has been supreme. It is for that that I recommend it heartily to both vegetarians and carnivores alike.