What Do You Know About Eritrea?

  Eritrea is a presidential republic of  the Horn of Africa. It is bordered to the south-east by Djibouti, the south by Ethiopia, to the Northwest and west with Sudan and is bordered to the east and north-east by the Red Sea,  across from Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Eritrea is a former Italian colony and was a province of Ethiopia until 1993, after a thirty-year-long war of liberation (1961–1991) to gain its independence from  the Ethiopian domination. The capital of
Eritrea is Asmara

The name of Eritrea comes from the Italian form of  the Greek word Ἐρυθραίᾱ (Erythraíā), meaning ''red land''.

Eritrea has been described as a dash of Italy in the heart of Africa. Although many people go to visit Italy, Eritrea is not a very well known country as its neighbour Ethiopia.  I have been to Ethiopia 3 times, and it is definitely a very beautiful country with amazing tradition and wildlife, but you can find all of that plus more in Eritrea. It is amazing how the people of Eritrea have kept their tradition, but it is incredible  to find all of the Italian culture that lies within the people and infrastructure of the country, especially the capital city of Asmara. Eritrea, as I mentioned earlier, was a province of Ethiopia primarily because they had so much in common such as : culture, ethnicity, traditions..., but together they shared over 80 different ethnic groups and languages. They still do, but after the long war, these ethnic groups were separated, along with families tore between which side they belonged to.
With a population of 5,824,000 many people would not expect Eritrea to be as exciting as Ethiopia which has a population of 82,101,998. Although there is a big difference in population, we come to see that all the history and civilization of Ethiopia is shared with Eritrea as well, but some may say that there is more to see in Eritrea due to all of its colonies and its interesting place on the map.
Eritrea is well known for its art, instrumental music and culture. It is also renowned for its food consisting of traditional stews and Ethiopian/ Eritrean bread (injera).

Watch this video to learn more about Eritreas History, Language, Tribes, Economy and Politics.  

Read more:   Culture of Eritrea - history, people, clothing, women, beliefs, food, customs, family, social http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Eritrea.html#ixzz1hle19AW9

Spice it up-Tsebhi Derho: Traditional Eritrean Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

3 medium onions, finely chopped
50g Berbere spice (mustard seeds should be included in Berbere spice recipe)

50g Tegelese Tesmi (Herbed butter)

1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp salt

4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1 x 1kg chicken cut into serving pieces
6 hard-boiled eggs
salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

 --Sprinkle the chicken with the lemon juice and salt and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile fry the onions lightly in a dry frying pan (add some water as necessary to prevent burning). When the onions are done add the Berbere spice and fry for a few minutes more. Now add the Tegelese Tesmi and fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and ginger and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and some 100ml water and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Add the eggs a few minutes before serving and serve with Injera - http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-tsebhi-derho

Courtesy of my mom :)

Another Savoury Dish! - Vegetable Alicha

• Cabbage-1 head

• Carrots-4

• Potatoes (peeled and diced)-2

• Onions-1

• Red Bell Peppers (size : small)-1

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2 tbsps

• Ginger Powder-1 tsp

• Garlic (minced)

• Turmeric-1 tsp

• Vegetable Bouillon-1 cube

• Salt

• Black Pepper-to taste

In a stock pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil and saute the shredded onion.

When the onions are caramelized add the sliced carrots, the cubed potatoes and the striped bell peppers. Add the vegetable bouillon, the ginger, the minced garlic and the turmeric. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Add 1 cup of water and cook for about 10 minutes adding more water to keep the vegetables moist while cooking, if needed.

After the 10 minutes add the sliced cabbage and stir well. Continue to add small quantities of water in the Alicha every time it dries up.

When the vegetables are tender and moistened in their tasty juice (about 30 minutes), remove from the heat and serve warm.



Made by my mom! Picture taken of Alicha specially made by my mother



http://www.happystove.com/recipe/220/Ethiopian+Vegetable+Alicha/

Let`s have a little treat...

In Eritrean cuisine, you will not find  many recipes of desserts. Erirea is blessed with a wide variety of exotic fruits such as mango, avocado,bananas, papaya and pineapples, and so the people in Eritrea eat alot of fruit salads for dessert. Another delicious dessert traditionally prepared by women is sweet hembesha. Hembesha is  made with fresh yeast, cumin, sugar, soaked raisins, salt, eggs, margarine or butter and flour. Hembesha is very easy to prepare: you have to dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water in a large bowl, mix the eggs and the spices and the flour and put the mixture in a warm place then bake the bread in a covered frying pan for at least ten minutes.

As I mentioned earlier, Eritrea was colonized by the Italians and thus, their cuisine is very much influenced by those of the Italians.  The  most enjoyed desserts in Eritrea are those of the Italians...such as TIRAMISU

Tiramusu Recipe:

Ingredients

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
• unit chocolate shavings and cocoa powder, for garnish

Cream Filling

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 unit egg yolk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Marsala wine
• 2 cups mascarpone cheese

Ladyfinger Base

• 1 1/2 cups coffee
• 1/4 cup rum
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 package ladyfinger biscuits
• 1/2 cup grated chocolate

Directions

Topping

1. Whip cream to soft peaks and stir in sugar and coffee liqueur. Chill until ready to assemble.

Cream Filling

1. Whip cream to soft peaks and stir in vanilla extract. Chill.
2. Place a pot with 2 inches of water on medium heat and bring to a simmer. In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. Place over the pot of simmering water and whisking constantly until mixture has doubled and holds a ribbon design on itself when you lift the whisk. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in mascarpone cheese and if still warm, chill until at least room temperature. Fold in vanilla whipped cream. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Ladyfinger Base

1. Mix coffee, rum and sugar until sugar has dissolved.

To Assemble

1. Dip ladyfingers in the coffee soaking liquid, just for a moment, to let it soak up the coffee (but not get soggy). Line the bottom of a trifle bowl, or decorative casserole dish completely with the soaked ladyfingers.
2. Spread a half of the Cream Filling over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2. (If your trifle dish is quite tall, repeat Steps 1 & 2 again, using a third of the cream filling each time).
4. Spread whipped cream topping over Tiramisu,
5. *Optional* -Dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishid=2718

http://thebestallcake.blogspot.com/2011/07/tiramisu-cakes.html

Tourism in Eritrea

Eritrea still has very good diplomatic relations with Italy.

With its neighbouring country,  Ethiopia and its ever growing tourism development, Eritrea has been described as a ''hidden gem'' .Within Asmara, you find the most amazing collection of architectural designs in all of Africa. During Mussolini's time, Italy spent a lot of time and money planning and building Eritrea's capital. It was at this time where Asmara was given the name of "Piccola Roma" (Little Rome). When visiting Asmara, you can't help but admire the way the Italians made it so unique and different than all the other African cities. After the Italian colonization, Europeans and western architects used Asmara to experiment different styles of architecture which brings architects from all around the world to examine and admire the unique buildings.

Although Eritrea is considered a ''hidden gem'', the tourists who go to Eritrea are very lucky, considering there are many beautiful places to see, both natural and manmade.

1) Admire the architecture in Asmara and Moorish Massawa ( coast)
 2) Go swimming with dolphins and scuba dive around Dahlak Archipelago.
3) Hike the sheer slopes of Tsada Amba to the monastery at its peak.



Uncharted Dankalia Desert.

 4) Journey through Dankalia's wildlife rich desert.

5) Visit Medeber Market where material goods and household items are made and fixed through the recycling of metal.

6)Visit the National Museum and explore the different cultures and ethnicities within Eritrea!

7) Steam Trains; while here in Canada, we don't get the opportunity to use steam trains anymore, but in Eritrea they still have one travelling from Asmara to Massawa ( coast of Eritrea)

8) The tour of Eritrea is a multiple day bicycle race throughout Eritrea. It was originally promoted by the Italian community in Eritrea with the name Primo Giro dell'Eritrea.  After 2 years of the Tour of Eritrea, it stopped running due to political reason, but as a celebration of the 10th year anniversary of Eritrean Independance, it was resurrected.



Massawa



Eritrea has always been a place of trade due to its access to the Mediterranean, but also a typical place for invasions.
Many people of different races (Arabs, Indians, Italians...) around Eritrea go to visit Eritrea. Whether its to see its port to the red sea or to see the architectural designs or to simply to study its great history.  Eritrea has also been described as the "Miami of Africa" with its numerous beautiful beaches.

 There are just so many tourist attractions to see in such a beautiful country!

To learn about more tourist attractions visit: This website

Hotels in Asmara, Eritrea.
- One of the most westernized hotels filled with many luxuries is the Asmara Palace. Asmara Palace is one of the best hotels found in Eritrea, just a few kilometres away from the Asmara airport.

- Another beautiful hotel and oldest hotel in Asmara is Albergo Italia. Built in 1899 and totally renovated in 2004 by Italians, in hopes of preserving Italian culture in Eritrea.
Prices vary with the room- the rooms available  are :  - Double -Suited Room
-Lofted rooms   - Yellow Suite  -Green Suite  -Red Suite  and the Imperial Suite.

Yellow Suite, Green Suite, Red Suite:
   -overnight including breakfast- $180

Lofted room (max. 3 persons)

-overnight including breakfast $120

   -Half Board: $230

   -Full Board: $250

Standard Room: Overnight including breakfast: $ 80

Half Board: $150

Full Board: $170

Contact information :
Albergo Italia
Nakfa Avenue, 13 Asmara, Eritrea
Tel: 0029-1-1-120740
Fax: 0029-1-1-126993
info@albergoitaliaasmara.com

Nigdet:

People in Asmara, have a celebration every month where each Orthodox Church has a particular day during the year when a Saint is celebrated. We call this holiday 'Nigdet'. People from other churches or neighbourhoods join the Orthodox Church that is hosting the party in celebration of a particular Saint ( ie: Mariam Orthodox Cathedral : Nov. 30th) . On this day, the neighbourhood has a festival filled with food, dance and culture, where all guests and worshippers are invited to celebrate. This celebration is also known as the  " Saints Feast" where the people of the church prepare a great feast for the people of Asmara.  The Feast is usually held after the ceremony where many people gather to eat and drink "suwa" ( a homemade alcoholic beverage). Events like these bring so many different ethnicities and religions together. If one where to visit Asmara, they should make sure they put this on their agenda to have a taste of how traditional holiday festivals are celebrated.

For the Respect of Chicken...

  One thing many people do not know about Eritrea, is the importance of a traditional chicken dish. Chicken dishes are  made for any type of special occasions. A chicken is a very respected animal and there are certain ways to slaughter, butcher, cook and eat it.  When butchering a chicken, one would have to cut it in 12 specific pieces. When serving a traditional chicken dish, the chicken should be accompanied by 12 eggs. When eating the chicken dish, the man of the house's attendance is very important as he should be the one to bless the food and distribute the chicken pieces to everyone. If the man of the house has either passed away or for one reason or another  could not attend the special occasion, the lady of the house should do the honours.
When I went to Ethiopia during the summer of 2009,  a fight erupted  between my mother and my grandmother over the chicken dish. At the time, I had no idea what was going on, but I soon understood what the fight was about.  On Eid, my family got together and we had two delicious chicken dishes right in front of us. A traditional spicy one for the adults, and a milder one for the children. Because my grandfather passed away, my grandmother was supposed to bless and cut the chicken. My mom cut the chicken for the children  before my grandmother got the chance to cut it for the elderly. My mom had forgotten this tradition because she had fled the country when she was young. While here in Canada, she usually gives children the food first, but in Ethiopia/ Eritrea it is custom that the elders receive their food first. My grandmother was very frustrated and angry at my mom and my mom's feeling were mutual because she didn't understand why my grandmother  had left the table in anger. From my understanding of the language I gathered that they were fighting over a chicken, which made absolutely no sense to me! . About a month or so later, I started understanding the culture and tradition in Eritrea/Ethiopia and I finally understood why my grandmother was so angry.
And that is my story! ! !:) 

Time for me to do some RESTAURANT REVIEWING :)

Restaurant Review for Robbies. 
1531 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, Ontario
613-744-8585
                       
                  Menu

   As a treat, my mom took me and my sister out for a ''girls night out'' to a restaurant we had never been to before, although we always wanted to; Robbie's : Italian Restaurant. My mom has specifically wanted to go to an Italian restaurant because she knew that Italian food is my favourite type of food, therefore I would be more critical, which is perfect for this project. Once we entered the restaurant, we all looked at each other in awe at the fact that  there was such a nice, warm, cozy feeling to the restaurant the moment you walked in.  We were welcomed by the waitress, with a smile that could have been bigger, but was still enough to make us feel welcome. We were seated in a matter of seconds. Until the waitress had arrived I had carefully observed the restaurant without spotting one flaw. The tables and floors were clean, the christmas decorations were beautiful, the candles were a nice touch,  and there was an amazing fireplace right in the middle of the seating area which added to the overall homey and cozy atmosphere we felt when entering the restaurant.  When our waitress had arrived, she smiled constantly and was very nice to us, but she did not tell us her name nor introduce herself as she should've had. We asked her what the soup of the day was and she wasn't sure so she had to check and come back to us to tell us it was sundried tomatoes with garlic, which we had ordered. It was delicious, but I definitely had tasted better. As another appetizer we ordered Bruschetta, which was my personal favourite. It was topped with tomatoes,  olive oil, aregano, garlic and black olives. The service was great, as we didn't have to wait long to get our main course. As a main course, I ordered Manicotti which is rolled pasta stuffed with spinach and Ricotta cheese, baked with tomato sauce and brick cheese. It was absolutely delicious! You could tell that the food was homemade and what I would call: REAL Italian food. You could definitely taste that the food was fresh. Our waitress regularly came to make sure we were doing okay, and she had offered me and my sister a refill of our iced tea. When we originally ordered the iced tea, we asked for it with no ice, and so she gave it to us with no ice, but when we had gotten our refill it was filled with ice.

When I asked the waitress for information on where their produce comes from, she seemed very unsure of herself and confused as she didn't know very much. Later on, towards the end of our meal, she had brought someone with more information and experience in the restaurant. She told me that the majority of their food does come locally. The bread buns come from 2 little bakeries in the neighbourhood. The meat in their food comes from the Ontartio area and the pastries for the desserts come from the Quebec side from a place called Etoile Pasteries. By learning this, it encourages people to eat at this restaurant in hopes that the restaurant uses some of the money to support our local economy.  The lady was very interested in the Culinary Arts program at our school, although she did not know the name of our school.
It was an overall great experience! After receiving the bill, I finally learned that the waitresses' name name was Macarena.

Learn more

Here are a few links that I think are really good in terms of explaining a little bit about Eritrea.

Eritrea:
Eritrea - Welcome To Eritrea, Africa's Hidden Gem - Video

                                                Eritrea's cultural food:

+ This Article on Eritrea's traditional food