Think a proud people. Think 3,000 years of interlinked culture. Think amazing vegan food. Think African-Caribbean roots. Think rural hospitality. Think primary colours. Think musical drumbeats. I guess your saying; it must be some European hippie-urban-suburb, where all of the above live in a ghetto and live in perfect harmony. Perhaps, someday, but certainly not now.

It is ETHIOPIA. Home to Haile Selassie; the Rastafarian and Bob Marley’s roots (obviously); reggae beats; the legendary Teddy Afro; King Solomon and Queen Sheba; origins of coffee (more on that later); positive bright colours; stunningly beautiful women; lush green valleys (that part of the 1985 live aid song that says: “Where nothing ever grows, No rain or rivers flow”, well that is clearly very inaccurate); super friendly people and, last but not least, the finest vegan food. All exist. All current. And all very real. Unfortunately, it also has a tragic history of horrendous civil wars, abject famine, poverty, corruption, civil strife and abysmal government rule. But I want to remain positive. The Vegan Nomad rarely does negative headlines.

Every country on the planet has its own distinct culture, but Ethiopia is a rare gem in the African crown. Ethiopians are extremely proud people. One of the first things that every Ethiopian told me on arrival was: ‘we are the only African country never to be colonised by the white Europeans. The Italians tried in the 1930’s (called Abyssinia back then). They failed. They fired bullets at us. We fired special spears back. We won’. Italy also used chemical weapons on the Ethiopian people in 1936, something that Selassie brought to the attention of the international community (League of Nations), leading to Ethiopia becoming a charter member in the early history of the United Nations. The first African state. Selassie way back then was quite the internationalist and a progressive force, it seems.

I was also told that the last Emperor, Haile Selassie was part of a bloodline that went back 3,000 years to King Solomon and Queen Sheba. Then there are the stories about his connections with the Rastafarians, who originate from Ethiopia and not Jamaica. It is reported that when Haile Selassie visited Kingston, Jamaica in 1966, with a full Rasta entourage of colours it rained when his plane touched the Kingston runway. Fine, some might say. It rains everywhere. Except it had not rained in Jamaica for six months before his visit. Needless to say, the crowds erupted, the country went mad and the Ethiopian-Jamaican axis of Rasta’s was further cemented under the cult figure of Selassie. Unfortunately, the last Emperor met a very unfortunate demise. The Derg allegedly flushed his bodily remains down a toilet in 1975 – I heard many other conspiracy theories also. Clearly, not a nice bunch in charge at the time. So you can imagine, Haile Selassie has an almost god like status among the people, or a cult figure to most. So much to tell. So many stories. That’s Ethiopia people. With that, this short historical epoch is over and on to the subject matter – food and the great Ethiopian vegan food. Yes you read that correctly.

Injera. The finest vegan food in all of Africa. Trust me. They have no contest on this vast continent. Finding the basic ingredients to live the life of a basic vegetarian, never mind a Vegan is a task of insufferable stories and obstacles in most African countries, but not in Ethiopia. For two days a week (Wednesday and Friday) the entire country, both Muslim and Christian go vegetarian, or ‘fasting’ as it’s fondly called. These two days are adhered in the strictest of fashions and without any kind of fuss. ‘Must be a religious encroachment, surely’, I hear you mumble. Nope. It may have its roots with religion along its evolution, but most people I met just do it and do not complain. On a religious note, the country is roughly 50% Christian and 50% Muslim. No serious religious internal strife. Quite remarkable given the demographics over the past decade and the current situation in the Middle East.

Would it not be wonderful if European countries adopted a similar approach to our strain on world food resources and ‘encouraged’ its people to go vegetarian for one day a week? Think of all the rainforests, livestock numbers, oil fuelled transport links and health bills that it would save? One day, we can dream of that fine progressive initiative. Yes this happens in a poor and impoverished country in Africa. All Haile Ethiopia (excuse the pun) for this fine food tradition!!

My first Injera with the various veg portions was of course in Addis Ababa, the capital city, before I was flown out to the remote west of the country to the region of Asosa. It is one thing having all this fine vegan food with amazing vegetables, dhaal, the injera (which is a basically a very flat bread) and the spicy spices all thrown in. It is enough to satisfy any food junkie, but it is followed by something quite remarkable. See picture. The injera must be eaten with your right hand and never your left. After this beautiful food has made it through your various bodily organs, the left hand, ahem, is used to offload it. Rule Number one good people: Yeap, just do not use that left hand when eating the injera. It will be frowned upon.

There are two things I love most about taking timeout with friends for a good meal; decent vegan food and a good coffee afterwards. If they both happen and too a good standard, I am a very happy individual. This simple two-part meal ritual sounds like an easy request, certainly in most parts of the so-called ‘developed world’. Yeah right. So if you serve up some slosh called Nescafe, or something of a similar nature after a fine meal, you may just warrant a slap. In Ethiopia, after an amazing injera meal, they start a coffee making ritual with proper coffee beans through the use of a jebena. Well, you can imagine, I am already passing out through sheer ecstasy. These people do not do instant coffee. No way. Go. Get out of here. Leave. Do not come back (ever), if you request such an item. It is equivalent to asking an Italian for tomato ketchup to put on a pizza. Sheer sacrilege. I hear some people actually do that, as it happens. Shame on you!!!!

I was sold on arrival. Ethiopia has it all. The finest vegan food and espresso coffee made in ceremonial style. Oh, and like all things Ethiopian it comes with a story of origin. It seems the first coffee was discovered by a Shepard called, Kaldi and his goats (had to sneak in a sheep story) way up in the Ethiopian Highland’s. In summary: The goats could not sleep. Shepard wonders, why? Finds bush. Sees some beans on a bush that the sheep had eaten. Chews it. Swallows it. Then he can’t sleep. You get the drift… Coffee discovered. Yet another story of animals teaching us humans. And no it’s not the Italians who brought coffee to Ethiopia. It’s the other way around. But they did bring good pasta to Ethiopia and a very good fusion it is too, much better than the 1936 import.

You want to hear the story of about the chicken, a strange ritualistic dance, a tribe in a very small village in Assosa and the white man, aka the Vegan Nomad involved in this incident? Nah. Not now. The next blog. Call it Part II of the Ethiopian Vegan Nomad experience.

Ethiopia. The soul and nectar of the true Vegan experience for any traveller in Africa. I miss it dearly. A very special country. It should be a mandatory visit for everyone, preferable not at all the same time.

Happy travels!

Ciao!

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