I mentioned it briefly in my first thoughts on flying Ethiopian Airlines, but want to focus on an unexpectedly delicious Ethiopian meal on Ethiopian Airlines for my Meal of the Week post this week.
Airline food is still airline food, but I’ve found over the years that you are better off ordering “local” cuisine (when possible) if flying a national airline. Earlier this week I flew an Ethiopian Airlines 787-8 from Dublin to Los Angeles. The menu contained both western and Ethiopian dishes.
The Ethiopian portion of the menu appeared like this–
I wasn’t sure whether it would be served “family style” via cart or whether I could only choose one. I definitely wanted to try Doro Wot, but everything sounded good.
Sure enough, the meal was served via cart. I would be able to taste a little bit of everything! Bethlehem, the FA, was very happy that I wanted to try the Ethiopian food and explained each dish as she filled my plate.
She also explained the bread, called Injera. It’s a spongy sourdough bread that she stressed was gluten free. Admittedly, it looked like a slimy pancake, but it was delicious.
Here’s my dinner:
Everything was delicious. Truly. It was spicy, not excessively spicy, but it had a great kick to it. Even the cooked kale (not usually my favorite) was delicious. And the bread was a perfect accompaniment.
Note the two moist towelettes. Bethlehem encouraged me to eat it with my fingers, saying, “That is the way we do it in Ethiopia.” I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Dessert? How about Ethiopian Cream Teff Cake? Teff is a grass that grows in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It made for a delicious cake.
Ethiopian Airlines’ Business Class is not a world-class product, but I sure enjoyed the Ethiopian food.
Injera is made from teff (grain) which is why it’s gluten free when it’s made from 100% teff. A lot of Ethiopian restaurants in the US mix in wheat as it’s much cheaper to buy in the US than teff therefore making it (a) less tasty and (b) not gluten free
How do you live in LA and not know Ethiopian food??! Get your butt down to Little Ethiopia and enjoy the good stuff at Rosalind’s. And yes, you must eat with your hands. No forks provided.
It’s true. I rarely stray from Mexican and Persian, to my detriment.
Jeff I was coming to write the same thing!
We live in Los Angeles with a whole area packed with Ethiopian restaurants… 4 or 5 on one street alone. In one place they serve your meal on a large, unrolled injera as your “plate” set right on the table. You eat around the edges ripping and eating until you’re finished. No plates or silverware you clean. 🙂 Plenty of satisfying vegetarian options also.
There’s actually a nice Ethiopian Merlot being produced; guessing they didn’t offer it?
They actually did it offer it. I just didn’t feel like wine at 7:30a.
This is awesome! If you decide to go to Little Ethiopia in LA, check out Lalibela. Their food is amazing!!!
Good for you! But this sentence without further explanation is strange. “unexpectedly delicious Ethiopian meal on Ethiopian Airlines”. Your writing is excellent though.
I don’t understand what the problem is?
“Bethlehem encouraged me to eat it with my fingers, saying, “That is the way we do it in Ethiopia.” I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
Alright, then, I now have my mission in life. Next time you come to Dallas, I’m taking you out for South Indian food, and I’m hiding the silverware so you’ll be forced to eat like us at home! 🙂
Given your photos, it appears you don’t travel like the rest of us in economy. 😉 I love Ethiopian food and typically enjoy it with a group around a large elevated tray, each of us helping ourselves. Yes, we use our fingers; there’s no other way, unless you’re one who eats hamburgers with a knife and fork! So, it will be an interesting, and altogether less satisfying, to eat my own individualized airplane portion.