Addis Ababa: Coffee, Injera, and the Birthplace of African Unity

Ethiopia is unlike anywhere else in Africa — or the world. It was never colonised. It has its own calendar (13 months), its own clock (sunrise is "hour one"), its own script, and its own ancient church. And its capital, Addis Ababa, is where all of this converges at 2,355 metres above sea level.

Where Coffee Was Born

The coffee ceremony is the centrepiece of Ethiopian social life. Green beans are roasted in front of you on a small charcoal stove, ground by hand in a mortar, and brewed in a jebena (clay pot). The room fills with incense and the smell of fresh-roasted coffee. Three cups is the tradition — abol, tona, baraka — and refusing is rude. Accept every invitation. I had four ceremonies in two days, each one in someone's home, each one lasting an hour. This is the birthplace of coffee and they take it seriously.

The Food

Ethiopian cuisine is eaten communally from a single platter of injera — a spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff flour. Tear off a piece, scoop up a stew (beef tibs, chicken doro wat, lentil misir wat), eat with your right hand. No utensils. A full spread for two people costs 400–600 Birr ($7–$10). For fasting days (Wednesdays and Fridays), restaurants serve all-vegetarian platters that are extraordinary — better than any vegan restaurant I've been to.

The National Museum

"Lucy" lives here. The 3.2-million-year-old hominid skeleton — one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made — sits in a glass case on the first floor. It is small and astonishingly old and seeing it in person is genuinely moving. The museum itself is modest but the collection spans Ethiopian history from prehistory to the revolution. Entry is 10 Birr ($0.15). Take your time.

Merkato

The largest open-air market in Africa. The spice section alone could take an hour: mountains of berbere, turmeric, cardamom, and a dozen spices I couldn't identify. The recycling section — where everything from car parts to sandals is made from repurposed materials — is extraordinary. Go with a local guide. Seriously. You will get lost without one.