This list comes to you from 11-year-old Sebastien who joined us for a food tour earlier this year with his family.
Prepare to be convinced.
Reason #1: If you do it early it removes all the mystery of Ethiopian food so you can enjoy it more. And your sister will complain less.
Reason #2: Kids can do it too! They take the time to talk to you and find out what you like and don’t like.
Reason #3: Xavier, Eliza and Genet involve you and know the right restaurants. Places that you wouldn’t even see but have awesome food.
Reason #4: Xavier and Eliza get excited about food. It’s easy to get excited about food with them.
Reason #5: Ethiopian food is really different and knowing what you like will make your visit much better. You can eat pizza when you go home.
Reason #6: They know the culture and explain things to help others understand without feeling awkward.
Reason #7: Guides are easy to talk to and have fun.
Reason #8: Xavier, Eliza and Genet know the people and make you feel welcome.
Reason #9: The market we visited was calm and not overwhelmingly loud. We visited at a good time to explore without the crowds.
Reason #10: The food is delicious!!
And some more from this young genius:
“My family visited Ethiopia for a few weeks and on our first day my parents booked a tour with Addis Eats which included Genet our guide bringing us to the National Museum, church and then for lunch. After lunch we met up with Eliza who toured us through the market. It was pretty cool seeing and learning about all the spices and food. The chili spice filled the air and we all had a good cough. That stuff is strong. We then met up with Xavier and went to three restaurants and a coffee shop. My favourite is the Kik Alicha which is yellow split peas but the fresh fish was outstanding. I ate mine and then my sisters and picked the bones clean. I even drank Ethiopian coffee and I don’t like coffee. I already liked Ethiopian food but my sister didn’t. The tour made a difference because then instead of not eating, she tried stuff and liked it too. Not the spicy stews but the Kik Alicha and other stews.
Xavier and Eliza are great and love what they do. We were invited to join them to learn how to cook some Ethiopian food. Because we were there during fasting time, we ate mostly vegetarian. But at their place we cooked up some Doro Wat which is chicken. It was so delicious. Wherever Eliza and Xavier go they will take their love of food with them and inspire others to enjoy great food.”
Thank you, Sebastian!
