We’ve been home from Ethiopia about four months now. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on our experiences there. I miss the people very much. I miss the food. I miss the slower pace of life. I miss the temperate climate.
Next week our girls have multicultural day at school. Despite the fact that it will probably be only about 16ºC, they will be wearing their Ethiopian clothes (and freezing, I guess…). I think they’re really looking forward to proudly showing off something of Ethiopian culture.
On multicultural day, they all have to take some food (nut-free, and labelled with all ingredients!) that is supposed to represent some sort of cultural food, to share with their class. Knowing what to take is ALWAYS difficult. I was talking with the school principal the other day about food allergies and what the kids can bring to school to eat, and how nut-free can make it really difficult for the kids who have dairy allergies and can find some of the missing nutrients in nuts… I also mentioned that none of us parents would be upset if we didn’t have to take food for multicultural day – we hate having to think up what to make/take.
Yesterday my younger daughter reminded me that next week it will be multicultural day on Wednesday. She suggested that she could take injera, which is the Ethiopian sourdough flatbread/pancake that forms part of every Ethiopian meal. What a great idea! I’ve found a recipe and will have to give it a go.
It was an interesting suggestion from her, as I don’t think she really liked injera much when we were there. And this is the child who said of Ethiopia when we came back, “I never ever want to go there again!” Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and time softens difficult memories.
All four of us are quite desperate for some real Ethiopian food. There is apparently no Ethiopian restaurant here in Sydney, though we know of two in Canberra, one of which we visited before going to Ethiopia. (Its just a little bit far for a casual meal though, being about 3.5 hours away…) We recently heard of a restaurant in Bankstown, which is a suburb of Sydney, that has Ethiopian food. We looked it up on the internet and had planned to go there last Saturday night for dinner. I rang to make a booking, and the only phone number that we had for it was disconnected. Maybe the restaurant was only open for a short time and has now closed?
We were quite disappointed, so now are looking forward to visiting friends in Canberra later in the year – for the sake of seeing our friends again, but also taking them out to dinner at Fekerte’s Ethiopian Restaurant.
I’d love to go back again to Ethiopia, and the opportunity certainly is there. I really enjoyed our time in Addis. I really loved what I learned about myself, my family and my dependable God. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, whether that is here, in Ethiopia, or another learning experience in another culture or country.
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
oh, well now you HAVE to come and visit me! I live in Footscray, which has a very high population of recent African immigrants. We haz Ethiopian food!
YUM!! But your diet wouldn’t allow you to eat it… 🙁
hi,
I am an Ethiopian currently living in SA. I just wanted to comment that I love your article. My christmas visit there was a heart felt and memorable experience one.
All the best with the multicultural day.
Thanks Paulos. SA… South Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia… If you’re in South Australia, do you know where I can get tef in Australia?!
As an addendum to this post, today the teacher organising the multicultural day went round to all the kids’ classes and told them that it is not acceptable for their parents simply to go to the shops and buy a packet of something for the shared lunch. Sorry?! Like what planet does this woman live on? Does she realise that many parents work these days, and that it just might not be possible for them to MAKE something for the kids to take? It made me want to send my girls along with a packet of chips (crisps) just to get up her nose.
We tried the injera recipe tonight. It was ok. With our dinner on it (which happened to be bolognese – making an interesting Ethio/Italian fusion!) it was great. Without it was a bit floury and tasteless. I think that I will make the batter up a few days beforehand and leave it in the fridge to ferment a bit for the multicultural day batch. That will give it much more flavour.
It was completely the wrong colour though. Injera is this terrible grey colour from the tef flour that is used to make it. As I don’t know anywhere in Australia that you can get tef, I just used normal wheat flour. The injera turned out a creamy yellow colour. Probably a more appetising colour for young school kids anyway…
I hadn’t heard about the not bringing a packet! I may just have to do an Aussie-last-minute-thought-dash-to-the-supermarket for a packet of lamingtons just to prove a point! At least the ingredients are listed on the packet!!
Back to your thoughts on Ethiopia… Do I hear the cogs turning on another adventure? Maybe you can work out how to import the tef flour to Australia while you are there!
Nah, we just wanted some Ethiopian food. I’ve been desperate for shiro wat for ages. Was there a recipe for shiro or injera in the recipe book I gave you?
I enjoyed your posts from Ethiopia – very thought-provoking. It’s interesting how now you all seem to be missing the place, too.
Belinda – the packet food: Elder daughter had this talk, but younger daughter wondered if they were at chess when the organising teacher came around.
There is some info about the making of injera and a recipe for ambasha. There is also the Shiro Wat recipe – I have had it bookmarked to cook since the day I got the book – just need the berbere! I will bring it this afternoon. (Still thinking of the lamingtons but apparently we’re making gingerbread men!)
No idea what ambasha is! We do have a recipe for Berbere in our Spice book by Herbie Hemphill (at least I think that’s what the book is) but it really isn’t anything like real berbere. That said, I believe that everyone has their own version of berbere in Ethiopia, but its just that the one in the book doesn’t seem to be like any that we had. Certainly not red enough.