Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa

이 요리 클래스는 에티오피아 여행의 하이라이트 였습니다. 영어로 여러번 작성했었는데 한글로만 올라가는군요. 여러나라의 쿠킹클래스를 경험했고, 이번 에티오피아 행은 다른 목적이 있었기에 시간낭비를 하지 않을까 고민했어요. 처음 시작은 10시에 올라와 아브라함의 픽업으로 시작됩니다. 그들은 차를 타고 여러 명소들을 짧게 설명해 주었고( 이것은 여러분의 에티오피아 여행에 큰 도움이 될 것입니다) 이후 우리는 아프리카 최대의 시장에 방문했습니다. 그들은 시장 여러군데를 상세히 설명해 주었고 내가 놓친것이 있어 되돌아가길 요청했을때도 기쁘게 데려가 주었습니다. 시장에서 충분히 많은 시간을 보냈고 나는 그들에게 미안해 했지만 그들은 전혀 개의치 않았습니다. 장을 마치고 요리를 위해 도착한 곳은 그들의 집이었습니다. 모델하우스나 가게가 아닌 실제 거주하는 아이들이 뛰놀던 앞마당이 있는 평화롭고 아름다운 집이었습니다. 그곳에서 전통 요리와 커피를 볶는 방법, 만드는 방법까지 상세히 배웠고 저는 커피숖을 운영하고 있기에 그들과 한국에서 가져간 에티오피아산 커피에 대해도 이야기를 나누었습니다. 인제라 굽는 방법, 직접 만들고 그들이 가족들과 어떻게 이 요리들을 나누고 먹는지에 대해서도 상세히 배우고 경험하였습니다. 요리가 끝난 후에도 집 곳곳을 보여주고 설명해 주었습니다. 우리는 전통 방식의 화덕과 식기를 사용했고, 이들이 현대식으로 사용하는 전기 화덕 등도 볼 수 있었습니다. 3시간이라 짧은 시간으로 표기되어 있지만 저는 6시간 정도를 이들과 함께 보냈고, 에티오피아 로컬 문화에 대해 짧지만 상세히 느낄수 있었습니다. 내가 가졌던 어떠한 요리 클래스보다 멋졌고, 즐거운 시간이었습니다. 나는 이들에게 이렇게 좋은 내용과 서비스를 제대로 광고하지 못하고 있는것에 대해 지적했답니다.^^. 다음번 방문 때에도 이들을 또 만나고 싶습니다. 강력히 추천합니다. It was the highlight of my time in Ethiopia. I strongly suggest booking this course as the beginning of your journey in Ethiopia. I was quite surprised that it felt like a private course—they didn’t cancel even though I was the only one who booked. From the very beginning, everything was great. On the way to the local market, Oli and Abraham drove me past famous attractions and provided explanations. This overall introduction alone will be incredibly helpful for the rest of your journey. At the local market, I had plenty of time to explore. (If you’re looking for something other than spices, you can ask them to help you find it.) After that, we went to their home (not a model house). The place was truly nice and peaceful. This cooking class wasn’t just about learning skills. It was a beautiful opportunity to better understand the lives of local people, experience how they share food with their families, and learn about their coffee-making and drinking traditions. Compared to other cooking classes I’ve taken in different countries, this one was among the best in terms of quality and approach. When you talk with the main host, Yhun, you’ll realize how thoughtfully they have designed this tour. I advised them to include more photos and descriptions because I genuinely want more people to know about this amazing experience. I initially thought three hours would be too short, but the tour lasted around five hours (maybe because I took my time?). They never complained. If you have any specific requests, I recommend messaging them in advance. I didn’t, but they were incredibly flexible and will make your journey even more special. One regret I have is that I didn’t think to take a group photo with their family before leaving.

What an amazing way to spend our Thanksgiving! Our family of 6 with adult children had the most lovely evening. Daniel and his wife Tigest hosted us in their home... Started with a visit to the local market on the way-where they purchase their products... Tigest had an excellent demo for a traditional Ethiopian base used with many dishes and then we all participated in the injera making! The other dishes were prepared in advance and perfectly timed... Followed by a sit down dinner and coffee ceremony. Thank you for this memory!

If you’re traveling to Addis Ababa, visiting Daniel’s home is a must! A friend of mine in New Zealand found Daniel Ademe’s contact details for me and I booked in for me and a friend to go and learn how Shiro and Injera is made. A couple of other friends found out we’re to go on a short tour to the outskirts of the city and on very short notice, as in 30 minutes, Daniel agreed for me to bring 2 extra guests along. Three of us are blind and Daniel and his wife made us feel very welcome. The aroma of the herbs and other ingredients was to die for! We were running out of time at the end but nothing phased Daniel and his driver. They got us back to the Elilly International Hotel in time for our conference to start even though the traffic was something else. We also experienced a coffee ceremony at his home and they described step-by-step about grounding the beans, roasting it, having incense burning in the background, etc. “When you drink a cup of coffee, the ideas march in like an army” – Balzac. Restaurants in Addis Ababa are great re serving traditional Ethiopian food, but nothing beats being at a real person’s home while they entertain you. We got told to all eat from this one big basket, for the belief is that if you all eat from the same dish you won’t fight, something we can all learn from.. Note from Jocelyn: This review was written by Martine who visited Daniel's home for this meal and coffee making in October 2019. Martine is blind so I uploaded this review for her. I am the New Zealand friend that Martine mentioned who found this travel experience for her on Trip Advisor. Daniel was really helpful to talk to when planning this experience and I felt reassured by him and his wife that Martine would have a great time and be well looked after. All true. Thank you Daniel and family.