Traveling Spoon

Authentic Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony

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Bio:

Daniel and his wife Tigist are from the Oromia region of Ethiopia but love to cook dishes from around the country, so prepare to be served pan-Ethiopian cuisine. Tigist learned to cook helping her mother around the house as a child, and ran her own kitchen after marrying Daniel. Daniel speaks perfect English and enjoys discussing diverse subjects from food and history to politics. Tigist is less confident speaking English but is incredibly friendly - together they make a great team. Daniel has a master's degree in social anthropology and is a tourism professional - he has led trips around Ethiopia for over a decade. He enjoys meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and sharing his rich heritage with them. They are blessed with three handsome boys who may join you during your experience if it's on a weekend.

Please note that on days that Daniel is traveling, his friend and business partner Yadassa will host you along with Daniel's wife, Tigist at their home.

What to expect:

Market Visit:

After you meet your host at his home, he will take you to the Keta/Asco market, a 15-20 minute walk from his home. Here you will be introduced to local ingredients that you will use in your cooking class later. The market is a daily local market known for its spices, cereals, vegetables and other industrial materials. While the market is open on all days, Wednesdays and Saturdays are especially good for visits. Saturday is considered market day all over the country and the market teems with life and people. Your market tour lasts about an hour.

Cooking Experience:

Your cooking class will take place in Daniel and Tigist’s home kitchen. During your two hour class, Tigist will show you how to make a traditional Ethiopian dish as well as how to pour and cook the perfect injera. You might learn to make shiro (chickpea or broad bean stew) or tibs (stir-fried meat with vegetables and spices) in addition to injera. You will also learn to roast coffee beans. If you're interested in learning to make an additional dish, include it in the "notes" section of your booking - please note that it will extend the cooking time.

Meal:

Daniel and Tigist’s home is in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, a neighborhood not frequented by tourists that is calmer and greener than central Addis Ababa. Their home is comfortable, clean and homey, decorated with pictures of their three boys, who you may meet if your experience takes place during the evening or on the weekend. Ethiopian cuisine is comprised of a variety of spices in its wots (stews) and tibs (curry), making the cuisine hot and piquant. You will eat as Ethiopians do, from communal plates lined with injera, a traditional fermented bread. Injera acts like an edible plate with other dishes served on top of it. The juices soak into the injera, which diners tear off into morsels to eat and even feed each other in a gesture called gursha that is meant to strengthen bonds. Teff flour is used to make the injera bread, which is soft, spongy and perfect to mop up the delicious gravies that soak through it. Your meal will be served family style with injera served alongside an assortment of meat, fish, vegetables and lentils. You will sit around the injera and enjoy your meal from one single platter. As Ethiopia is the birth place of coffee, you will enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony after your meal.

Choose a starting time, either: 12:00pm or 6:00pm.

Note:

Daniel’s home is in the outskirts of Addis Ababa and about 25 km from the airport. Since public transportation is not very convenient and there are no clear postal addresses in Ethiopia, Daniel prefers arranging transport for you. He is happy to offer hotel pick up and drop off for an additional cost. If you would like this option please select "Yes" to transportation in the booking form.