“I have no words to describe its test. I have never and ever ate such delicious Tibs (roasted beef) in my life,” says Andrew Springer an Indonesian living in Ethiopia for a private business. He further told The Ethiopian Herald he has made Yeshekla Tibs as his favorite.
“A year ago, it was my first time to test Ethiopian exotic cuisine locally called Yeshekla Tibs. One of my Ethiopian friend and I have entered to Eset Bar and Restaurant at Addis Ababa just to had lunch. And my friend ordered the butcher man to serve us a killo of Yeshekla Tibs with Kurt or Tire siga (raw beef). I was so surprised about its name because I have never heard such order through my time in Ethiopia” Andrew said concerning his firt time encounter of Ethiopians best way of serving beef.
“While I was eagerly waiting for the order, the waiter called a number loudly. And he brought us the Kurt (plain raw meat) with Ethiopian staple Injera and accompanied with Mitmita and Awaze. And my friend told me that it like starter and the main dish will come after a while. Wow! What a tasty meat with a spice!”
The waiter again called the same number like before with fried sliced beef in a special clay pot above hot charcoal on his hand with a tray. The Awaze, Mitmita and Injera have surrounded the clay. My mouth was full with saliva until I test the Tibs.
Andrew is now a regular customer in one of the Bar and Restaurants that serve Shekla Tibs. “Now as you have observing, my two friends and I are waiting for our order (half and a kilo of Yeshekla Tibs), you can also join us,” he said. Andrew came and engaged with a small shoe business in Ethiopia (around Megenagna, Addis Ababa) before two years.
Yeshekla Tibs is simply a pan fried sliced beef and served sweltering in a special clay pot above hot charcoal. As the much proclaimed Ethiopian staples, Yeshekla Tibs served with the Injera (Ethiopian national staple made of the indigenous Ethiopian cereal teff). Although Injera serves as the bases of almost every meal, here it served rolled up beside the food but as usual it is to tearing off and wrapping around small pieces of fried beef.
Yeshekla Tibes are Mitmita is usually served along with a blend of spices including Mustard and Awaze which is a paste prepared from pepper (a blend of more than 15 spices powder), water and home brewed local liquor called Areke. These Ethiopian acclaimed convoys of Yeshekla Tibs are for to dip in, the Injera wrapped up pieces of fried beef, and to revel in the Ethiopian unique flavor which is too hot and spicy.
Yeshekla Tibs is usually garnished with onion and green pepper on top. Most of the time cooking oil or butter is not used to prepare Yeshekla Tibs, rather, a piece of fat from the meat melted on the hot pan before frying up the sliced beef.
The Amharic word “Yeshekla” is used to characterize the special clay pot that the fried beef served with, because Tibs (fried beef) could also be served with a simple tray. “What makes Yeshekla Tibs unique besides the presentation or being served in a unique clay pot, it is the very fact that you can enjoy the sizzling Tibs to the very last drop while it is still HOT!” Andrew added.
In Addis Ababa and other parts of the country, there are eateries which are only devoted to serve Yeshekla Tibs or Ethiopian traditional meat dishes. These particular joints are called Sega Bet which also referred as Tibs Bet (meat eateries).
What make these local joints unique, they serves as a butcher shop where the locals buy fresh meat and at the same time they serve as Tibs Bets where you can enjoy the best Ethiopian “meat related” traditional dishes exceptionally.
Most Butcheries, with bigger compounds also serve as a bar where the locals hangout and mostly drink beer. Since these joints are local spots they are jam-packed almost all the time except during Lent , other prolonged fasting seasons as well as Wednesdays and Fridays of non-fasting seasons which are fasting days according to the tradition of Ethiopia Orthodox Church. Now you know when it is best to visit these places!
Talking about Sega or Tibs Bet, there are three main dishes sought after by the locals including Yeshekla Tibs. Kurt or Tire Sega (plain raw meat) served in Injera and accompanied with Mitmita and Awaze. Gored Gored which is raw meat seasoned with Niter kibe (Ethiopian spiced up butter) and Berbere.
Talking about Ethiopian meat eating culture, there is another interesting fact to be mentioned here and it is about drinks which complete Yeshekla Tibs and most of meat related Ethiopian dishes. Even though these days and at this particular joints the main dishes are being enjoyed with Beer, but it was Tej – the home brewed Ethiopian honey mead wine – that used to complement, whether Kurt or Tire Sega, Gored Gored, Tibs or Yeshekla Tibs.
Tej is a sweet but powerful local drink made of organic honey and fermented using a hop-like woody local shrub called Gesho.
“When you come to Addis Ababa just remember to include Sega Bets in your Ethiopian Food Itineraries, whether to taste exotic Ethiopian dishes or to get your meat fix Ethiopian way and even if you are not a meat lover, these local joints are best spots to blend in with the locals, explore Ethiopian beers brewed by several breweries which each one has their very own taste and obviously to witness the unique and interesting meat eating culture of Ethiopia,” Andrew suggested.
The Ethiopian Herald May 23/2020
BY HIZKEL HAILU
