The camel is an amazing animal. Apart from being a beast that can carry an incredible burden (up to 500kg), it can kick in all four directions with all four legs, can close its nostrils at will, can spit when feeling threatened ( or just because...), and has a double row of long, curly eyelashes (no wonder the name camel stems from the Arabic word that means "beauty"). Camels have also played an invaluable part in many wars, and are to this day still used as a bartering currency. It therefor comes as no surprise that the camel is the national animal of 3 countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Eritrea.
Eritrea is strategically placed on the horn of Africa. The Italians colonised Eritrea in 1890, only to be expelled by the British in 1941, and then became federated with Ethiopia under an UN Mandate in 1951. After a protracted 30 year long war with Ethiopia, Eritrea finally gained independence in 1991 (which seriously annoyed Ethiopia, as it is now is a land-locked country, deprived of a port). So before we get to the food, let's discuss the facts ( see FNO rules week 1 blog): Eritrea is a one party State. Since independence, the country has never had a national election! There is no privately owned news media, and not a single foreign correspondent residing in the country. Independent news coverage has been banned since 2001. Domestic and International Human Rights organisations are not allowed to operate inside Eritrea. The nation's inability to grow enough food to feed it's people, widespread drought, landmines and economic progress being hampered by the proportion of Eritreans diverted from the workforce to the armed forces, are all factors that have led to many Eritreans seeking refuge in other countries. There are about 2500 Eritrean refugees in Australia, with roughly 210 living in Brisbane, most of them in Moorooka ( see suburb profile in blog week 3).
Last night , we had dinner at Mu'ooz in West End, 2,5km west of the Brisbane CBD. Mu'ooz is a social enterprise to empower woman with limited education who seek refuge in Australia. The restaurant recently relocated from Moorooka to West End, offering refugee woman an opportunity in paid employment. Melkam Megeb!
The cuisine of Eritrea is based around the produce that can be cultivated under challenging conditions. Lentils, rice, pumpkins, goat and lamb feature prominently. As in Ethiopia ( see blog week 3), the local flatbread called enjera replaces eating utensils, and is used to scoop up the delicious, spicy stews. We started our meal with a variety of vegetable "dips" accompanied by sourdough enjera and some Talmia (chickpea fritters). For the main course we ordered 6 different dishes as part of a shared platter: traditional spicy beef curry, a tender lamb stew, a delicious dry chicken curry, a red lentil stew, mushroom and tomato braise and (my favourite of all) .... Duba ( a pumpkin curry). The portions were extremely generous, and we struggled to finish our banquet. Mu'ooz recently obtained a licence to serve alcohol, with South African wines featuring prominently. Should you wish to engage in the coffee ritual, set aside an additional hour to experience the roasting and brewing of coffee the Eritrean way.
We did share some other interesting facts as well: Eritrea is the first country in the world to declare its entire coastline (1,347km) and all its islands (350) an environmentally protected zone; Even though it is a country riddled with its own problems, Eritrea donated aid money to the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund (however on closer scrutiny of this fact, I discovered that the money has never been transferred....)
Next week we shall explore the flavours of Indonesia. See you in Jakarta!
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