Ethiopian Food!

Nasir is only a few miles from the Ethiopian border, so it should be no surprise that the few restaurants in town serve Ethiopian food. My favorite is in the central market next to a photo studio. A huge poster of Avril Lavigne and the smiling faces of many locals grace the door adjacent to the restaurant. The dining area is dimly lit and has a few plastic tables and chairs. The walls and ceiling are made from large tarps, and it’s absolutely stifling inside. Within a minute of taking your seat, you can feel the sweat pouring off you. There are no menus, but you do get to choose between red wat and white wat. Both are stews made with goat meat; the red is spicy while the white is mild. We made our selections (I always go with the red wat) and we each ordered a cold Coke (which hits the spot on a 112 degree day!). A few minutes later our food appeared on huge metal plates. Spongy flat bread called injera covered each plate and there was a small bowl of stew on top. The Ethiopian lady serving us poured the stew onto the injera. We prayed and dug in. There are no utensils so it’s a bit messy as you tear off pieces of injera and then use it to scoop up the goat meat. To make things even trickier, you are only supposed to use your right hand since the left hand is considered unclean. You also have to be wary of bones. When you find one you spit it out and put it on the table. It might not sound pleasant to some, but all in all, it’s one of my favorite meals and one I always look forward to when I travel to Nasir. I never leave disappointed!