November 29, 2006
Raw
The first Brit to visit Ethiopia was an 18th Century Scottish gentleman called James Bruce. He came back with so many tall tales that he was ridiculed as a liar for the rest of his life.
His tallest tale was that the country's favourite dish was a plate of raw meat. According to his biographer Miles Bredin in his book The Pale Abyssinian:
Bruce has an undeserved and unenviable reputation. He is generally remembered, if at all, as ill-tempered and a liar... Haughty and proud (the portmanteau word paughty might almost have been coined for him), he once forced a visitor to eat raw meat after the unfortunate man had expressed doubt at it being the Abyssinians' favourite dish.
To my shame, it has taken me two years to present the proof that Bruce was telling the truth. I can also tell you that Bruce's visitor wasn't unfortunate at all. Once you get used to the texture, fresh raw meat is tender and tasty.
The picture shows what I got when I asked for a 'tinnish, tinnish' [small, small] portion at a friend's wedding.
Posted by aheavens at November 29, 2006 5:27 PM
Comments
your comments section for the great run is not working
Posted by: abaye at November 29, 2006 5:59 PM
lol, nice website
http://aigaforum.com/A_confession.htm
.
Posted by: ethiopiawit at November 29, 2006 8:42 PM
Ah James Bruce and his Lies!!!
And I quote "The chief delicacy on such occasions was raw beef, cut in strips from a living beast so that the muscle fibres were still twitching. The women hand-fed choice morsels to the men before gorging themselves while the poor creature slowly bled to death as slice after slice of its body was hacked off."
Mr.Heavens, have you ever seen Ethiopians eat raw meat from a live animal, until it bled to death?
Bruce also said,
"When a pair of diners decided to become more intimately acquainted, the two nearest them would hold up their cloaks like a screen to conceal their activities. But Bruce observed: 'If we may judge by the sound, they seem to think it as great a shame to make love in silence as to eat'."
Do you still believe that Bruce was telling the truth about Ethiopians, whom he considered barbaric? I hope you post my comment and give me a reply.
Posted by: Mamitu Geremew at November 29, 2006 9:08 PM
you are one amazing guy.....really like to appreciate you for what u doing......keeping us up to date and i love u for that bro......good job
Posted by: Suleyman at November 29, 2006 11:12 PM
OK, Mamitu - I have never seen Ethiopians eat raw meat from a live animal, until it bled to death. And I don't believe he was telling the truth about Ethiopians - I jist believe the raw meat bit.
Here's a longer quote from The Pale Abyssinian
"Bruce has an undeserved and unenviable reputation. He is generally remembered, if at all, as ill-tempered and a liar. And whilst there was a certain amount of truth in both accusations, they also leave a great deal unsaid. He was foul-tempered, but only towards the end of his life when, his reputation in tatters, he was suffering from myriad illnesses; and he was a liar, but only in a small way, as were all the explorers who followed him."
So now lets start an argument about whether making the stuff up about living animals is lieing in a small way.
Posted by: Andrew at November 30, 2006 4:03 AM
Andrew, What is your beef? Are you saying that raw meat consumpion is disgusting? If so, its a very ignorant statemet. I don't think you even heard the lady, she might have said "Tanash", which is more of a hind quarter part maybe "Silverside" in British description. The Japanese eat raw seafood, they call it sushi and is considered Gourmet food. Why is it a crime to
eat fresh and clean raw meat? We don't eat raw beef if it stays over a day. In USA, the Morton Steak House serves 3 weeks old aged beef "rare". I don't see how eating a rare beef aged 3 weeks is better that raw meat a day old. With all due respect to ephumism such as "aged for tendernes", go and try eating raw meat from "top Loin" "Dabit", you will find it delicious. You don't know what you are missing until you try it.
If you try it and its not for you, fine. Hey I still can't swallow sushi. Food taste is acquired not natural.
Posted by: JAPHET at December 11, 2006 2:29 AM
Coming here a bit late Andrew. I've never seen raw meat served in quite such moorish fashion. In 'big' bits. I do like a good steak tartare and am partial to all sorts of raw seafood. But, if the meat is good and fresh it is inherently a very pleasing eating experience.
Posted by: Graham at January 4, 2007 6:09 PM