Ethiopian food is delicious and unique. The cornerstone of the meal is a bread called Injera It is a spongy, sour flat bread that is made with Teft flour (grown only in Ethiopia and hard to find, although becoming increasingly more popular in the US because it is gluten free!) Injera is made much like a thin pancake or crepe, poured out and then flipped expertly by the Ethiopian women. Huge round dishes hold the injera, and then the other foods are placed on top. To eat Ethiopian food you simply tear off a piece of rolled up injera in your hands and pick up the main course with the injera. Most other dishes in Ethiopia use a spiced butter or a berebere spice sauce.
The boys did a wonderful job eating with the injera, and they seemed to love everything, although a few dishes are a bit too spicy for them. Luke and Ben even tried Ethiopian coffee and loved it!
When we first got to the restaurant Luke and Ben won over the heart of our precious waitress immediately. She seemed genuinely thrilled to have us there, and she just adored the boys and Gracie! By the end of the evening, she was hugging and kissing the boys goodbye. She promised them that next time if we came during the day she would perform an Ethiopian coffee ceremony for the boys. Ethiopians love their coffee, they can take hours to hand grind fresh coffee, and it is a very long, beautiful ceremony that is a tradition in Ethiopia. Jeff and I were able to experience this wonderful tradition when we were in Ethiopia, and it is the best coffee we have ever tasted!
Genet was our waitress' name, which means "Heaven" in Amharic. She was so pleased that Luke knew one Amharic word "Ababi" which means "Dadddy". She told us that she would love to teach the boys Amharic!!! What a blessing it would be to develop sweet relationships with some local Ethiopian people. Genet was able to pick out which people group each of the boys came from as well, which was so special to us since most people just assume they are twins. It was a refreshing change to have someone of their heritage to be able to notice and affirm their unique backgrounds.
It was all around a wonderful evening. Now we can add Injera, Dora Wat, Kitfo and Coffee to the growing list of foods the boys love. We love introducing new and interesting foods to our boys so that they can learn to appreciate them. Luke and Ben's most current favorites include hummus, falafal, edammamme, (cooked) sushi, salmon and mango!
We are so glad we have this amazing Ethiopian restaurant so close to our home. We hope that we will always be able to celebrate this piece of our sons heritage!
5 comments:
What a special evening and the beginning of the boys realizing their very special heritage...the land where they came from as well as the hearts that grew to love them before they were ours!! Good times and great memories you are all making as a family! Love and miss you, Mom K...Grammy
What abundant blessings the Lord continues to pour out! So neat!
So special! I hope Tessa eats like her cousins! Love you!
PS: I like your background :-)
What a great way to celebrate such a special day for you all!! :)
I loved reading this post! How neat to find a tie to Luke and Ben's homeland, right in your own! I hope the ties will continue and that someday when we visit again, Jack can learn about his cousins' birthplace as well! (I already know he loves Middle Eastern food, so I'm sure he'll do fine with Ethiopian food!) We love you all so much!
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