Why I ate half a kilo of raw beef from another man’s hand
By Gary Bearchell
Wondo Genet, Ethiopia -When in Ethiopia, do as the Ethiopians do even if it’s eating half a kilo of uncooked meat from another man’s hand.
Six months into our year-long adventure between Northern Italy and the southern tip of Africa, we spent a month in Ethiopia. It is a difficult country to get around by public transport, so the four of us hired a local driver and guide the cost was reasonable, and the convenience too irresistible.
Near the end of a taxing, two-week tour in the south, we pulled into a dusty little town called Wondo Genet. According to our guide, Wondo Genet’s claim to fame is its hot springs, famous for once having Bob Marley as a visitor. But that is not what I’ll remember it for.
The season of Lent was about to start, that’s when members of Ethiopia’s Orthodox Tewahedo Christian Church must fast for 55 days. During the fast only vegan food can be eaten. As a result, many Ethopians go out and feast on nothing but injera (Ethiopian bread) and raw beef on the last night before the fast.
Read more at: The Globe and Mail
