The special transit city tour in Addis Ababa with cooking class and tasting aims to provide those passengers with limited time in the capital city of Ethiopia with a true insight in the Ethiopian culture. During this city tour, you will be able to explore the highlights of the capital city by immersing yourself in the main architectural attractions. Not only will you enjoy a visit to the national museum, but you will also end up your tour in our own house, where you will learn how we cook the Ethiopian national dish, the injera, and taste the exquisite Ethiopian coffee.
The tour starts with a visit to Entoto Mountain, where the capital city was founded in 1886.
The next stop is the Ethnological Museum located inside the Addis Ababa University Campus. This museum hosts a full sweep of Ethiopia’s cultural and social history across two floors. The Ethnological Museum was once Haile Selassie’s palace and you can even visit his bedroom and notice the bullet hole in his mirror courtesy of the 1960 coup d’etat. If wished, we can also stop by the National Museum, where you can quickly learn about Ethiopian archaeological finds such as the fossilized remains of early hominids, the most famous of which is “Lucy,” the partial skeleton of a specimen of Australopithecus afarensis.
Next, we will head to the vibrant Merkato, the largest open market in Africa. Here you can find all kind of goods, foods and items. Our guide will sneak you through this labyrinth and ethnic place to show you the inciense and handcrafts area.
The last stop is the Trinity Church Cathedral, home to some grand murals, brilliant stained-glass windows (and two beautifully carved imperial thrones, and where Emperor Haile Selassie I is buried.
What we really love about our job is to be able to know people from different cultures and backgrounds and make them feel at home. Thus, we will open the door of our house to invite show you how we bake our own injera. You will taste different wots or stews.
Many people have said that eating “Ethiopian-style” forces the diner to rethink common assumptions about eating. This is mainly due to the foundation of nearly every meal is “injera”, a unique rubbery pancake made from “teff”, the staple carbohydrate in Ethiopia. With its tangy, bitter and slightly sour taste, injera is unlike anything many travellers will have tried before. Injera replaces plates, bowls and utensils and is topped with mounds of delicious arrays of spicy stews. You will certainly leave Ethiopia with a good taste of the rich Ethiopian cuisine and the cooking class may push you to export the Ethiopian gastronomy back home.
Ethiopia is also world-renowned for its coffee claiming to be its original home. Coffee remains a daily staple for almost all Ethiopians. Coffee is traditionally drunk very strong and short with sugar and sometimes with the herb, rue. After trying our local food, you will experience a traditional coffee ceremony, a truly act of hospitality that marks friendship and respect. Welcome to the Inside Ethiopia family 🙂
