ethiopian eating etiquette
Did you know Ethiopians eat exclusively with their right hands? Find the answer below as well as some other Ethiopia eating etiquette.
- Traditional meals are eaten from a communal plate, but you should not reach all the way across to the other side to grab food; eat what is close to you.
- It is polite to eat with your right hand - the left is considered unclean and therefore you should avoid using it if you can (although you will receive some forgiveness for being a foreigner).
- There will always be a way to wash your hands before and after the meal. Sometimes a waiter will bring a basin and pitcher to the table. When this happens, hold your hands over the basin and they will pour water over your hands.
- Don't be shy! It's okay to get your hands covered in food and it's not aways easy to grab the food you want with a piece of injera. It is also okay to grab food directly with your hands, although it is usually easier to use the injera anyway.
- When greeting people at a restaurant, often they will have already washed their hands, or they will be covered in food. In place of a handshake, they will offer you their wrist; lightly grasp their wrist but do not shake it. If your hands aren't suitable for a handshake either, you can touch your wrist to theirs.
- The gursha is a gesture that you may encounter - this is when a person will put food into your mouth. It is a gesture of respect and it is courteous to accept it.
- Especially if you are dining in an Ethiopian's home, you will almost certainly be urged to keep eating even after you are full. When you are finished, you may have to insist a few times that you have eaten enough. Leave some food unfinished on your plate - this is a sign that you have had your fill.
- If you are invited into someone's home: Take your shoes off if they remove theirs, greet everybody present individually (staring with the oldest first), and allow any elders to begin eating before you do. If you accept an invitation to eat at an Ethiopian's house, it is very impolite to refuse food or eat little once you are there; make sure you are comfortable with Ethiopian food beforehand.
Information found awazetours.com.