- Title: ETHIOPIA: Locals more health aware, turn to cholesterol free vegan diets
- Date: 26th October 2012
- Summary: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF TAITU HOTEL PORTRAIT OF EMPRESS TAITU ON THE WALL CHEF YENENH AKLILU PREPARING LUNCH IN THE KITCHEN VARIETY OF VEGETABLES ON THE KITCHEN TABLE CHEF YENENH AKLILU CUTTING UP A TOMATO VARIETY OF VEGETABLES ON THE KITCHEN TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (Amharic) YENENH AKLILU, CHEF, TAITU HOTEL SAYING: "This is the recommended food for every one. When we started serving this kind of food, we were selling it at a loss, we had only two customers a day. But the customer base has been growing fast and we now serve up to 150 people during the lunch buffet alone. We collect all the vegetables you see here from our organic garden." WAITRESSES CARRYING TRADITIONAL OVENS AND CHEFYENENEH ARRANGING FOOD FOR BUFFET CHEF YENENH AKLILU SETTING UP BUFFET INJERA (TRADITIONAL FOOD) ON BUFFET TABLE SERKALEM MEKONNEN, CUSTOMER AT TAITU HOTEL FILLING HER PLATE ASSORTED VEGETABLES IN THE BUFFET VARIOUS OF SERKALEM MEKONNEN AND OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVING LUNCH (SOUNDBITE) (Amharic) SERKALEM MEKONNEN, CUSTOMER SAYING: "I like everything here. Also, I think instead of having vegetable food as an alternative food, I think it would be better if we learnt to make vegetables our primary food, and eat meat as an alternative food, instead of the current viceversa. This is what I believe. It for our own health. As you know, most people have some kind of health problem which in my opinion are linked to excessive meat eating." CUSTOMERS SERVING LUNCH FROM BUFFET TABLE VEGETABLE SALAD CUSTOMERS EATING LUNCH PAINTING ON THE WALL VARIOUS OF MESKELU BUTCHERY PEOPLE EATING MEAT AT MESKELU BUTCHERY ARON KIFLEZGI EATING MEAT CUSTOMER EATING MEAT (SOUNDBITE) (Amharic) ARON KIFLEZGI ADDIS ABABA RESIDENT SAYING: "I eat a lot of meat. If you ask me how long I can stay without eating meat, I don't think I can stay for more than a month. For example, during lent [Orthodox fasting season] I find it difficult abstaining from meat for just a month. In short what I want to say is that, I can't live without eating meat for long." VARIOUS OF WOMAN PREPARING FOOD AT MESKELU BUTCHERY
- Embargoed: 10th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ethiopia
- Country: Ethiopia
- Topics: Health
- Reuters ID: LVA4O7LGT5B0TWYX3I7GV458RVAH
- Story Text: Located in a quiet suburb of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Taitu hotel is infusing favourite traditional dishes with the new and healthy.
Taitu is the country's oldest hotel, founded in 1898 and is named after Ethiopian Empress Taitu Betul, wife of Emperor Menelik ll who ruled between 1851 and 1918.
Traditional Ethiopian food is made up of spicy meat and vegetable dishes mostly cooked in vegetable oils and butter.
Yenenh Aklilu the head chef at Taitu, prepares meals made from a large selection of vegetables with no meat.
The vegetarian diet served at Taitu is becoming increasingly popular among a clientele that was used to the rich meat and fat based meals served here for decades until the menu changed a year ago.
"This is the recommended food for every one. When we started serving this kind of food, we were selling it at a loss, we only had two customers a day. But the customer base has been growing fast and we now serve up to 150 people during the lunch buffet alone. We collect all the vegetables you see here from our organic garden," said chef Aklilu.
At Taitu vegetables are served with the country's national dish, Injera, a flat bread made out of teff flour.
A meal costs about 4 US dollars.
Severely affected by poverty, food insecurity and morbidity, Ethiopia's rural populations are highly exposed to undernutrition.
The UN's Food and Agricutlure Organisation says food supplies in Ethiopia lack diversity with much focus on cereals, pulses and root crops as well as livestock farming for meat.
Experts say growing fruit and vegetables should be encouraged in the eastern African nation.
"I like everything here. Also, I think instead of having vegetable food as an alternative food, I think it would be better if we learnt to make vegetables our primary food, and eat meat as an alternative food, instead of the current viceversa. This is what I believe. It is for our own health. As you know, most people have some kind of health problem which in my opinion is linked to excessive meat eating," said Serkalem Mekonnen, a regular customer at Taitu.
But the popularity of the diet at Taitu is not likely to spread fast; whether cooked or raw, Ethiopians are ardent meat lovers.
Raw meat delicacies begun in the 17th century when Ethiopian soldiers fighting the British in the bush could not roast meat, for fear the smoke would attract the enemy to their hideout.
The only time meat is not sort after is during special religious periods. Forty million Orthodox christians, half of the country's population, abstain from all dairy products on Wednesdays and Fridays of every week, plus the entire lent period which lasts for six weeks.
Ethiopians like Aron Kiflezgi would not even consider the Taitu diet.
"I eat a lot of meat. If you ask me how long I can stay without eating meat, I don't think I can stay for more than a month. For example, during lent, I find it difficult abstaining from meat for just a month. In short what I want to say is that, I can't live without eating meat for long," he said.
The UN estimates that Ethiopians consume about 8kg of meat per person every year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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