So on the theme of drinks, other than coffee there are many cultural (adult….or not) beverages which are served at different occasions and holidays. In Ethiopia there are many holidays. There is a holiday for each Saint(at least 5/month), Christmas, Easter, New Years, Finding of the True Cross in Ethiopia, the Downfall of the Derg, Epiphany and many more. Additionally, baptisms and weddings are big community parties. Each of these holidays is celebrated with different cultural drinks and we have been the fortunate recipients of many invitations which included sippin’ on these delicious and some not so delicious beverages. Sewa (tella), mez (tejj or mead), beer and araki (grain alcohol) are the beverages of choice. This is not to say that Ethiopians have a drinking problem, but that their celebrations are like many other country’s celebrations and encourage the drinking of fermented liquids.
So first, let’s talk about the siwa (tella), also known as “dirty water,” which is one of the favorites in Tigray and many other parts of Ethiopia. This is a sort of homemade beer made from gesho leaves, spices, water and yeast. This is the drink of choice in our region and many homes are converted into siwa bets (siwa houses) for your tasting pleasure. The siwa varies in alcohol content and quality. Some siwa is very cloudy and will leave you with a horrendous stomach ache. While other siwa is clear and more delicious, having been filtered, and seems to be the choice drink. At baptisms, weddings and the weekend the siwa produced in the home is available for around 2-3 birr a cup. This equates to 10 cents USD. The siwa bets are in the home of the producer. The sewa is made by women, usually. Sylvia and I have been invited many times with our teacher friends to enjoy this homemade beer and chat about the week. The bars are nothing fancy but always have the catchy Amhari and Tigrenya music to listen to while you chat with your friends. Last weekend, while we were at the siwa bet a dance party organically began. Our teacher friends say that the siwa is good medicine for stress and is a necessary part of one’s diet(particularly digestion). In the siwa bet you will find all walks of life, though predominately male. Young high school students sipping on a cup, the local priests, farmers from the nearby villages, teachers, police officers and the newest addition, the local Ferengi teachers from America. Everyone drinks at least one or two glasses slowly and then leaves. On Saturdays the majority of the sewa bets are filled with farmers and priests taking a break from the week and hanging out with their friends. The sewa is traditionally drank out of a cup called a shikna made out of a hollowed gourd or sometimes drank from a clay cup. The siwa is bitter and usually has particles swimming around in it which you are supposed to blow away from the top of the cup. This is the traditional drink drank at baptisms, weddings and all of the saint’s days as well. The woman of the house will brew up a big batch in a 50 gallon drum and all the neighbors will come over eat bread or a meal and hang out together. It has been a great place to learn more about Ethiopian culture and has helped us to integrate into our wonderful community.
Another favorite drink is called Mez (Tejj). This is a traditional honey beer or wine depending on who is making it. It has a higher alcohol content and is very sweet. The mez is drunk out of traditional beaker looking vessels and is quite dangerous, due to its sneaky sweet flavor. In our town there is no mez. It is very regional, specifically around places where honey is produced you will find this drink. Again, there are mez bets where the locals will hang out and chat. This drink is sometimes made by adding local red honey to the siwa and letting it ferment for a couple of days or weeks. It is very yummy, you also see this on music videos and during holidays.
Araki is the local moon shine. It is a high alcohol content grain alcohol used for “digestion”. This drink is served on holidays with raw meat. The raw meat dishes consist of kitfo or cort. Kitfo comes from the guragi region and is spiced with berbere and kibbeh. Cort is the meat the slice off of the freshly slaughtered animal and eat with hawasi, a spicy dipping sauce. Both are delicious, I might add. After you eat this meat, you are supposed to drink at least one shot glass of the araki to help digest the raw meat and kill any parasites that may have arose. It is dangerous.
And of course, there are many beers. Walia, St. George’s, Raya and Dashen are the ones which I have seen. They are decent lagers and can be enjoyed at local “hotels”. We have had beers with our teacher friends a couple of times and they play a fun game to see who will pay for the next round, based on the number you get on the bottle cap.
So, now you know about the local drinking traditions of Ethiopia. Come and visit and we will take you to the nearest siwa bet.
PS: We work hard and are doing great things, not just drinking….I know what you were thinking.