Culinary tourism or food tourism and sometimes called gastronomy tourism is perhaps the least known or least practiced type of tourism. Culinary tourism is defined as “the exploration of food as the purpose of tourism. It is considered a vital component of the tourism experience. Dining out is common among tourists and “food is believed to rank alongside climate, accommodation and scenery in importance to tourists.” Culinary tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon in the tourism business which was only launched as recently as 2001.
Culinary tourism is almost unknown or so far neglected in Ethiopia although foreign tourists are usually appreciative of Ethiopia’s cultural heritages some of which are globally known and appreciated as many of them are registered as world heritage sites and practices. Culinary tourism which is considered “a subset of cultural tourism” because cuisine is a manifestation of culture and therefore relatively easier to be embraced and practiced as it is part and parcel of cultural tourism and that Ethiopia has a high standing in international cultural tourism.
Culinary tourism should not however be regarded simply tourists coming to a country to explore the taste, color, composition or preparation of foods that they never tasted.. On the contrary, food tourism is a more diverse, extensive and more structured activity. On the contrary, “Food tourism includes activities such as taking cooking classes, going on food or drink tours, attending food and drink festivals, participating in specially dining experiences shopping at specialty retail spaces, and visiting farms, markets and producers.”
Food tourism is also a very important component of tourism in general and its economic turnover is also considerable compared to the other sectors of tourism. “According to the World Food Travel Association, food and beverage expenses account for 15% to 35% of all tourism spending, depending on the affordability of the destination.” There are many food tourism benefits including more visitors, more sales, more media attention, increased tax revenue and greater community pride.”
Ethiopia’s diverse food cultures obviously provide opportunities to explore culinary tourism as a serious business venture not only for its annual turnover but also for its potential for creating job opportunities for thousands of young people who can take the business diversity of tourism to a new level.
Ethiopia’s food culture is fast changing in ways that can be exploited as a new branch of tourism. Not only that. The diversity of Ethiopia’s food culture has always been appreciated by foreign tourists who are often fascinated by the varieties and tastes of the foods in different parts of the country. We can even say that Ethiopia is not having only more than eighty different ethnic groups living in different climatic and geographic zones that have allowed them to generate amazingly varied foods and drinks. They are also varied in terms of the seasons specific food are more popular than others during fasting seasons.
Fasting foods in Ethiopia are popular during at least five months of the Ethiopian year in addition to the twice weekly fasting days. The Ethiopian year is therefore balanced in terms of food diversity by providing times of indulgence in fatty foods and times of restraint or abstinence from such foods that are universally considered unhealthy eating habits. In a way, Ethiopia’s food culture is not only fully based on a robust organic base but also on a natural and temporal restrictions or prohibitions although they are based on religious practices.
Given the present fasting season for both Christians and Muslims, it would not be out of place here to share our reflections on Ethiopian food culture and the changes that it is undergoing nowadays. To begin with let us look at how the big fasting times were welcome and endured in older times and how they shaped societies’ attitudes about life and religion in general and how they have changed nowadays.
Forty or fifty years ago, fasting in general and the main fasting season was considered by Christians as a big occasion not only for proving one’s piousness but also their relationship to God. Although the orthodox church does not prohibit the faithful to abstain from food all days long for 40 or 60 days, Ethiopians are so spiritual that many of them would voluntarily refrain from eating meat. butter and other related food items. On the first day of the fasting time, all utensils used the day or evening before are washed thoroughly until they are free from non-fasting food remains that could stay stuck to the dishes and cooking pots or knives.
At one time there was a popular joke making the rounds of villages here in Addis Before they were demolished and replaced by condos that make it difficult to share even jokes. The man had his last eve of fasting dinner with his wife and ate only fasting foods in the following weeks. One day, he came home late, a bit tipsy or “overfed”. His caring wife made the table and told him to eat but he “had no appetite” as they say. Why? I hope you know the answer.
A little later, he went to the washroom to release some of the pressure on his stomach and the wife came running thinking her loving husband was ill. To her surprise , she found him throwing up and she noticed a lot of chopped meat in the vomit. She was so scared that she kept mums while the husband shot off, “You see darling! The meat I ate on the eve of the fasting season is still undigested!” The poor wife must have gone to look for some medicine for his upset stomach.
According to my own observations, there are least three types of people who are fasting. The first are those who fast strictly and according to the religious rules. The second are those who fast at home or in front of people and break their fast when they step outside their homes. The third type are those who fast when they feel like it (for health and other reasons) and those who do not fast when they don’t feel like it.
The long fasting is a big deal for religious or health reasons. Leaving religion aside, we can focus on people who fast for health reasons. Fasting is known to be useful for shedding a few pounds from our obesity or be in good shape. By doing so many people expect to avoid diseases cause by being overweight or obesity like cardio vascular illnesses and diabetes. Fat burning has become a fad these days. It is not only an exercise jargon but a desire to slim down to improve our looks particularly for those working in the fashion industry. In medical jargon, it is called ‘intermittent fasting’, which is a kind of fasting that does not last but is used from time to time, twice or three times a week or every fifteen days.
Speaking of fasting and foods we cannot avoid shedding some light on the evolution of Ethiopian cuisine or food culture in the last few years. Ethiopian food culture is celebrated throughout the world for its variety, taste and for being highly nutritious. Let us take for instance the food item known as yetsom beyayenetu (fasting variety) which is composed of injera or the flat bread made of a super-food known as teff which is spread in the centre or around the tray on which we put wot (sauce) made from lentil, powdered chickpea or beans, vegetables like cabbages, tomatoes, beetroots, carrots, green pepper, chopped red onion or garlic. This is indeed the best vegan food highly appreciated anywhere in the world but Ethiopians have been eating for thousands of years.
In recent article “Ethiopian Food: 20 Traditional Dishes to Look For in Ethiopia” and posted on a blog page, the writer shares their appreciation of Ethiopian traditional foods in the following lines, “Has a meal ever made such an impact that it’s become forever seared into your memory? The colors, the presentation, the way the bread felt on your fingertips. It made such an impression that you still think about it twenty, even thirty years later.
The writer of the blog went on to say that, “ It wasn’t just the taste of the food that made an impression on me. It was the whole experience. From the way the colorful stews were served together on a large pancake to the way you ate them with your hands using small pieces of Injera, I was mesmerized from start to finish. Injera was especially fascinating for me because I had never touched nor tasted bread with that kind of texture. At the time, it was truly a unique experience, one that obviously had a lasting impact on me.
I enjoyed that Ethiopian meal so much that I wound up having it again a few days later, at a different restaurant. Unfortunately, Ethiopian restaurants have been few and far between since then which is why I’m planning a trip to Addis Ababa to enjoy Ethiopian food where it’s really from.”
Many people welcome the arrival of the fasting season because it provides them with the rare opportunity to indulge in healthy eating whether they like or not and deliver them from too much indulgence in meat and buttery foods that are served and wrongly regarded in many households as signs of abundance and good living. Some of the misconception related to obesity and indulgence in meaty foods is slowly giving way to a sober, informed and rational attitudes in the upper classes of society in particular. In the days long gone, being obese was something we were proud of because it was considered a sign of wealth and abundance. No one had any idea as to the reasons many rich people were prematurely dying because health information was not sufficiently available and sporting activities were not as developed as they are now. The dilemma was that the rich were dying prematurely while the poor lived longer. The reverse seems to be the case now.
Nowadays Ethiopian cuisine has evolved so much that it has even started to attract the attention foreigners or expatriates that have grasped its significance and try to make the most out of it. Thankfully, there are so many restaurants that offer traditional dishes prepared with a heavy dose of ‘modernized’ cooking techniques and a touch of artistic excellence, with a variety of colors and tastes added to it. So have culinary tastes and impressions evolved. In the not distant past, ‘shiro wot’ and ‘yetsom beyayinetu’ two of the major food choices for the fasting season are not served in the old style when they were considered “yedeha migeb” or food for the poor. Nowadays the posh restaurant and stylish eating joints offer these foods in a way that outshines the meaty dishes of yore. I would not indulge into the price changes because economics is not my forte.
The food culture of a country is very much part of its intangible heritages and as such it should be part of the country’s patrimony. Ethiopia’s food cultures have a vast opportunity for improvements and for accessing the global food varieties that are served anywhere in the world and at the most prominent hotels and restaurants. Promoting and modernizing our food cultures are not only good for our sake. This is also a very important element of tourism promotion because the food you eat is an important trigger for attracting tourists who are interested in tasting exotic foods in their touristic itineraries.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 23 MARCH 2024
