Culture of Eritrea

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The National Museum of Eritrea is a national museum in Asmara, Eritrea Asmara, museo nazionale, ingresso.JPG
The National Museum of Eritrea is a national museum in Asmara, Eritrea

The culture of Eritrea is the collective cultural heritage of the various populations native to Eritrea. Eritrea has nine recognized ethnic groups. Each group have their own unique traditions and customs but some traditions are shared and appreciated among different ethnic groups. [1] The local culture consists of various, and often quite similar, traditions practiced by the nation's many Cushitic and Ethiopian Semitic-speaking Afro-Asiatic ethnic groups, in addition to those practiced by the area's Nilotic minorities. Eritrean culture is in some ways similar to the cultures of other countries in the region. [2]

Contents

Coffee ceremony

One of the most recognizable parts of Eritrean culture is the coffee ceremony. [3] Coffee (Ge'ez ቡን būn) is offered when visiting friends, during festivities, or as a daily staple of life. If coffee is politely declined then most likely tea ("shy" ሻሂ shahee) will be served. The coffee is brewed by first roasting the green coffee beans over hot coals in a brazier. Once the beans are roasted each participant is given an opportunity to sample the aromatic smoke by wafting it towards them. The coffee roasting smoke are sometimes used to fill the rooms with a pleasant scent. This is followed by the grinding of the beans, traditionally in a wooden mortar and pestle.

The coffee grounds are then put into a special vessel, called a jebena , and boiled. A jebena is usually made of clay and has a spherical base, a neck and pouring spout and a handle where the neck connects with the base. When the coffee boils up through the neck it is poured in and out of another container to cool it, and then is put back into the jebena until it happens again. To pour the coffee from the jebena a filter made from horsehair or other material is placed in the spout of the jebena to prevent the grounds from escaping.[ citation needed ]

The host pours the coffee for all participants by moving the tilted jebena over a tray with small, handleless cups ( finjal ) without stop until each cup is full. Some of the coffee will inevitably miss the cup but this is done to prevent the coffee grounds from contaminating the brew. One extra cup is poured each time. The grounds are brewed four times: the first round of coffee is called awel, the second kale'i, the third bereka ('to be blessed') and the fourth is called "dereja". However, the "dereja" is not always poured, it is mostly poured when elders are present. The coffee ceremony may also include burning of various traditional incense such as frankincense or gum arabic.[ citation needed ]

Cuisine

A plate of Injera with various Eritrean stews Eritrean Injera with stews.jpg
A plate of Injera with various Eritrean stews

Typically, Eritrean cuisine consists of various stews ( tsebhi ) made from vegetables and meat, and served atop a large, flat sourdough bread called injera , tayta, "shuro", "alicha" and "hamly". Many vegetarian dishes are available since a majority of the population observe fasting at some time during the year. Eating is accomplished without utensils by tearing a piece of injera (strictly using the right hand), then scooping some stew, vegetables or salad with the bread.[ citation needed ]

On visiting an Eritrean household, it is polite to decline at least three times if asked to dine. Usually the host will say "bezay kelalem", after which the guest may agree to dine. This process ensures that one does not seem too eager to eat at another's household. When one visits an Eritrean house regardless of whether they are served with food or not, they are always served with hot tea.

Suwa is the name for the home-brewed beer common in Eritrea. It is made from roasted corn, barley and other grain and is flavored with gesho , a type of buckthorn leaf. The beverage is often made for celebrations; a sweet honey wine (called Mies) is also commonly served.

In addition, Eritrean cuisine has a lot of Italian dishes from the Italian Eritrean cuisine introduced during Italian Eritrea. It is more common to find people eating the Italian Eritrean cuisine in the capital, Asmara. Asmara has been regarded as "New Rome" or "Italy's African City" due to its Italian influence, not only in the architecture, but also for the wide streets, piazzas (town squares) and coffee bars. In the boulevards, lined with palms and trees, there are many Italian style bars, restaurants and cafes, [4] serving cappuccinos and lattes, as well as gelato parlours. Many Eritreans drink the espresso coffee, made using original Italian machinery. Pizza -the worldwide famous Italian food created in Napoli- is one of the favorite foods of the young people in Asmara.[ citation needed ]

Music

An Eritrean krar and masinqo is a common instruments in Eritrea. Masinko and krar.jpg
An Eritrean krar and masinqo is a common instruments in Eritrea.

Eritrea has nine ethnic groups, each of which have their own different styles of music and accompanying dances. A common instrument used by many of the communities is the drum. Amongst the Tigray-Tigrinya, the best known traditional musical genre is called guaila.

Religions

There are two major religions in Eritrea, Christianity and Islam. Pew research estimates that 63.5% are Christian, and 36.5% follows Islam, [5] In 2010, the United States Department of State (USDoS) estimated that 65% of the population was Christian and around 35% was Muslim. [6] The Muslims are concentrated in the eastern and western lowlands,& highlands whereas the Christians mainly inhabit the highlands. Religious denominations with fewer than 5% adherents include Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Baha'is, Buddhists and Hindus. Followers of traditional faiths comprise around 2% of residents. There are very few irreligious individuals, and participation in religious activity is generally high. [7]

Visual arts

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Eritrea</span> Historical development of Eritrea

Eritrea is an ancient name, associated in the past with its Greek form Erythraia, Ἐρυθραία, and its derived Latin form Erythræa. This name relates to that of the Red Sea, then called the Erythræan Sea, from the Greek for "red", ἐρυθρός, erythros. But earlier Eritrea was called Mdre Bahri. The Italians created the colony of Eritrea in the 19th century around Asmara and named it with its current name. After World War II, Eritrea annexed to Ethiopia. Following the communist Ethiopian government's defeat in 1991 by the coalition created by armed groups notably the EPLF, Eritrea declared its independence. Eritrea officially celebrated its 1st anniversary of independence on May 24,1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Ethiopia

Ethiopian cuisine characteristically consists of vegetable and often very spicy meat dishes. This is usually in the form of wat, a thick stew, served on top of injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is about 50 centimeters in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. Ethiopians usually eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asmara</span> Capital and largest city of Eritrea

Asmara, or Asmera, is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 ft), making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The city is located at the tip of an escarpment that is both the northwestern edge of the Eritrean Highlands and the Great Rift Valley in neighbouring Ethiopia. In 2017, the city was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved modernist architecture. According to local traditions, the city was founded after four separate villages unified to live together peacefully after long periods of conflict. Asmara had long been overshadowed by nearby Debarwa, the residence of the Bahr Negash or the governor of the coastal province, however it still existed as a major settlement for over half a millennium and enjoyed some importance as it stood on the trade route to Massawa. Asmara first rose to prominence during the 20th century, when it became capital of Italian Eritrea. Under Italian rule the city of Asmara experienced rapid urbanization and modernization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurage people</span> Semitic-speaking ethnic group in Ethiopia

The Gurage are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. They inhabit the Gurage Zone and East Gurage Zone, a fertile, semi-mountainous region in Central Ethiopia Regional State, about 125 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa, bordering the Awash River in the north, the Gibe River, a tributary of the Omo River, to the southwest, and Hora-Dambal in the east.

African cuisine is a staple of the continent's culture, and its history is entwined with the story of the native people of Africa. The foods that native Africans eat have been influenced by their religions, as well as by their climates and lifestyles. The first Africans to inhabit the continent were hunter-gatherers who ate what they could find in nature. As agriculture became more common in Africa, so did agriculture-based diets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eritrean cuisine</span> Cuisine tradition of Eritrea

Eritrean cuisine is based on Eritrea's native culinary traditions, but also arises from social interchanges with other regions. The local cuisine, despite featuring influences of both the Ottoman and Italian cuisines, shares similarities with the cuisine of neighboring Ethiopia and the cuisines from other African countries in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Ethiopia</span>

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Habesha peoples is an ethnic or pan-ethnic identifier that has been historically employed to refer to Semitic-speaking and predominantly Oriental Orthodox Christian peoples found in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea between Asmara and Addis Ababa and this usage remains common today. The term is also used in varying degrees of inclusion and exclusion of other groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilen people</span> Ethnic group in Africa

The Bilen are a Cushitic ethnic group in Eritrea. They are primarily concentrated in central Eritrea, in and around the city of Keren and further south toward Asmara, the nation's capital. They are split into two sub-tribes; Bet Tarqe, Bet Tawqe which are split into further clans known as Hissat. The Tawke has six whereas the Tarke has five which each are divided into smaller kinship groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee ceremony of Ethiopia and Eritrea</span> Coffee culture of Ethiopia and Eritrea

The Habesha coffee ceremony is a core cultural custom in Ethiopia and Eritrea. There is a routine of serving coffee daily, mainly for the purpose of getting together with relatives, neighbors, or other visitors. If coffee is politely declined, then tea will most likely be served.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jebena</span> Traditional Ethiopian coffee pot

Jebena is a traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean flask made of pottery and used to brew Arabic coffee. It is also widely used in Sudan, and the coffee itself is called bunna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eritreans</span> People from Eritrea and its diaspora

Eritreans are the native inhabitants of Eritrea, as well as the global diaspora of Eritrea. Eritreans constitute several component ethnic groups, some of which are related to ethnic groups that make up the Ethiopian people in neighboring Ethiopia and people groups in other parts of the Horn of Africa. Nine of these component ethnic groups are officially recognized by the Government of Eritrea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion in Eritrea</span>

Religion in Eritrea consists of a number of faiths. The two major religions in Eritrea are Christianity and Islam. However, the number of adherents of each faith is subject to debate. Estimates of the Christian share of the population range from 47% and 63%, while estimates of the Muslim share of the population range from 37% to 52%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eritrea</span> Country in the Horn of Africa

Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the south, Sudan in the west, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea. The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Eritrean cuisine</span> Style of fusion cooking

Italian Eritrean cuisine is the mix of Eritrean dishes and spices with Italian dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batak cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Batak people of Indonesia

Batak cuisine is the cuisine and cooking traditions of Batak ethnic groups, predominantly found in Northern Sumatra region, Indonesia. Batak cuisine is part of Indonesian cuisine, and compared to other Sumatran cuisine traditions, it is more indigenously preserved. One characteristic of Batak cuisine is its preference to andaliman as the main spice. That is why andaliman in Indonesia sometimes dubbed as "Batak pepper".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Injera</span> Fermented flatbread from Ethiopia and Eritrea

Injera is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara community, like bread or rice elsewhere and is usually stored in the mesob.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilbet</span> Traditional food

Hilbet is a traditional food from Aksum, Tigray. It is a vegan food that is made from fava beans, fenugreek, lentil, and other spices that are ground into a powder. The Hilbet powder is then cooked and whipped to make a cream-like texture. At the center of the Hilbet it will have chill paper-based sauce and is eaten using Injera.

References

  1. Tekle, Amare (1994). Eritrea and Ethiopia: From Conflict to Cooperation. The Red Sea Press. p. 197. ISBN   0932415970. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan have significant similarities emanating not only from culture, religion, traditions, history and aspirations but also from being in comparable levels of income and economic development. For the most part, the peoples of these countries share common values. They appreciate similar foods and spices, beverages and sweets, fabrics and tapestry, lyrics and music, and jewelry and fragrances. They even compare in sizes and looks and are hard to tell.
  2. Woldu, Demelash. Exploring language uses and policy processes in Karat Town of Konso Woreda, Ethiopia. Diss. University of East Anglia, 2018.
  3. It’s coffee time Archived 2011-10-04 at the Wayback Machine Network Africa Online, April 2008 interview.
  4. Splinter, Hans van der. "Asmara - bars and pastry's". www.asmera.nl. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  5. "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  6. "Eritrea". U.S. Department of State.
  7. "Eritrea". U. S. Department of State. Retrieved 25 August 2017. The country has an area of 48,489 square miles and a population of 3.6 million. Although reliable statistics are not available, it is estimated that 50 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim and 30 percent is Orthodox Christian. Approximately 13 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, while groups that constitute less than 5 percent of the population include Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhist, Hindus, and Baha'is. Approximately 2 percent of the population practice traditional indigenous religions. The population in the eastern and western lowlands is predominantly Muslim and predominantly Christian in the highlands. There are very few atheists. Religious participation is high among all ethnic groups