Food Tour in Addis Ababa

Contrary to many people’s expectations, Ethiopia offers wide varieties of delicious meals.  During this five hours food tour of Addis, we first set out for Merkato which is the largest outdoor market in the entire Africa. We start with visiting the Vegetable Section of the market and buying important ingredients for our food preparation session later. Next stop in the market would be the interesting Spice Market where pick our necessary and unique spices up. Walk for about ten minutes farther to a unique market where we will visit the market which supplies ingredients to prepare bread called Kocho or Qocho which is prepared from the root and stalk of Enset or False Banana Tree. Kocho is prepared from the smashed root of Enset after it is buried for at least three months in the ground and fermented. The final part of the market will be visiting the dairy products section of it. One of the most common ingredients added to many Ethiopian meals is “Nitre Kibe”, a clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic and several species. Then drive to a local family where you will be a guided preparation of a typical Ethiopian meal – Injera. It is made from a grain known as “teff”, which is ground into flour, mixed with water and yeast for slight fermentation, and baked on a big round pan after the dough is kept at least for three days. Teff is a gluten free grain which is more fiber-rich and nutritious than any other grain containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, iron, and calcium. With the local family, you will try to bake injera as locals do, and taste your made. We now head to one of the best traditional Ethiopian restaurants of Addis where you will taste varieties of yummy Ethiopian meals from the different parts of the country. Next is attending a typical Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony where you will see the whole process of washing the beans, roasting it on iron pan, pounding by hand, boiling and how it is served three turns of cups of coffee. In the Ethiopian culture it is customary to put fresh cut grass on the ground, burn a frank incense for its great smell, and let guests smell the smoke of the roasted coffee which is regarded as sign of their being welcoming host. Coffee is Ethiopia’s biggest export and it is the gift of Ethiopia to the World as it was originally discovered in the Keffa region of Ethiopia. Finally, along the way back to your hotel, stop at one of the ‘Tej Bets’ of Addis. Tej is traditionally brewed mead-like drink make from honey. This tour is open for customization to best fit with visitors' interests, tour start times, etc. It is planned to be held for up to six visitors and price includes a comfortable private Toyota Mini Van, professional and expereienced English speaking guide, coffee ceremony attending fee, Tej tasting, and all related government taxex.

• Professional experienced English speaking tour guide

• Local family visiting fee for the food preparation class

• Hotel/Airport pickup and drop off

• Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony attending fee and coffee

• Two glasses of "Tej" - Ethiopian Honey Wine per person

• Meals and drinks at a traditional restaurant at lunch

• Tips for service people

• And, any expense which is not mentioned in the "Included' List above