June 15, 2007
Mixed Coka
Bernos waxes lyrical about the joys of drinking mixed Coca-Cola in Addis Ababa:
Even yet’eb’er’za Coka had its satisfaction. Whether mixed with water or not I didn’t care!! For a long time after coming to the states I still used to water down my Coke.
It took a while to get used to seeing people topping up a glass of Coke with Ambo (fizzy water) or Highland (bottled water). Then, two weeks ago, I was at a friend's house and he offered me a drink – half Coke, half Axumit red wine.
It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. But where did this habit come from?
Posted by aheavens at June 15, 2007 10:46 AM
Comments
I don't know about the water+coke, but i know in Spain they frequently mix coke and red wine and call it a "calimocha," or something like that. you're right, it's really not so bad.
Posted by: emily at June 15, 2007 7:07 PM
I love coke, i love addis, and bernos
Posted by: Meskot at June 16, 2007 3:09 AM
I'm not sure whether Gouder or Axumite was first, but I couldn't get the Gouder down without mixing it with coke. So, my theory is that it originated with Gouder and "spilled over" into the Axumite.
Posted by: Matewos at June 16, 2007 4:56 AM
You know what they say - French wine is good, but Ethiopian wine is Gouder.
Posted by: Andrew at June 16, 2007 5:25 AM
Andrew, your Gouder joke is so bad, it's good.
As for watering down soft drinks, as a kid we did it to stretch our Birr. Nowadays when in Addis, I do it to reduce the sweetness I've outgrown. With Coke and Pepsi supposedly at war in Addis, and with high prevalence of diabetes, I'm still wondering why one of them has not made the move to introduce sugar free (diet) sodas.
Posted by: weblogethiopia at June 16, 2007 7:51 AM
well i know most Habesha girls do it so that they are not portrayed as drinkers. So, they water it down with coke.
Asalafiw ke tej beet.
Posted by: Asalafi at June 16, 2007 3:03 PM
In the household I grew up, it was done because my folks afforded fewer bottles of coke for the number of kids and guests at hand... or simply to make the coke last as long as possible.
Posted by: ZeLaN at June 18, 2007 8:12 AM