http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/20000224/ied24056.html
Thursday, February 24, 2000
Time out
Maxwell Pereira
________________________________________
Adulis in America
Freedom, but not so palatable
GIVING Shakespeare's famed and oft-repeated quote somewhat of a twist `What's in a name?'' appears on the reverse of the menu card of an Ethiopian restaurant on College Street in New Haven, in the USA. I was dining there recently with my daughter Indira and Neda her Iranian friend, who were keen on me sampling the variety of cuisine available in restaurants from different parts of the world in this university town that hosts Yale in picturesque Connecticut of North America.
Whenever we were lucky to be free from familial constraints, Indira would plan for us a new experience, much to the delight of my taste buds. A different restaurant each time. The Ethiopian restaurant was obviously Eritrean, as I learnt from a revealing story on the menu card, which went on to educate me that `Adulis' was an ancient port in Eritrea's bay of Zula. Was that why the place was named Cafe Adulis? I wouldn't know. But apparently Adulis was one of Africa's great lost cities, which was the main port of the Axumite Empire that flourished in the Horn of Africa during the 3rd Century BC. Its ruins, supposed to stand even today across the Red Sea from what is now known as Yemen.
I found nestling amidst the so-called traditional Eritrean dishes of Tsebhes and Tibsies our own Basmati, as were dishes like `Professor Soares's Soiree', an exotic sounding oven-baked fish filet of Tilapia with a sautee of leek, sun dried tomatoes, dried apricots, whole roasted tomatoes finished with a cabernet wine, all served over a bed of couscous and toppedwith sliced roasted almonds. As again, were `Master T's Favorite', ÿ don't miss the American spelling, the Roman `Caesar Salad', the Arab/Turkish/Greek `Hommous', the Spanish/Mexican `Ficracho' and` Injerrito', alongside the indecipherable tongue-twisters `Timtmo' or `Tibsie Ah'melmlti' claimed to be true Eritrean delicacies among the "hearty and zesty" vegetarian extravaganza that make fine entr‚es by themselves or as great compliment to the meat dishes one orders.
I learnt that the Tsebhes that unlock for you the magic and mystery ofnortheast Africa are unique and unforgettable dishes of meat or vegetablescooked in tomato sauce, their secret being the long simmering with berbere-- Eritrea's unique blends of sun dried hot peppers. And these are served oninjera - a sourdough crepe made from Teff - a variety of millet from East African highlands.
Immersed as I was in my menu card, I saw the food had arrived - served bynot Africans, but pretty, white, university students. The stuff placedbefore us reminded me of the one common central dish round which all satand partook from together - in homes of my childhood Muslim friends. Forall that had been ordered, appeared to have been dumped into one large and flat thali-type of a serving dish and placed in the centre of the table.Everything appeared sauced and sauteed up with the same dull white sauce --with no gourmet special taste to write home about. Even as I left therestaurant the nagging question remained -- why call the cafe Adulis?ÿPerhaps the puzzle was there, only to divert my attention from the mediocrefare presented. A thought further troubled me that night -- was all thatexpensive African glitter worth it?
I read on. The origin of the name Adulis is not known, the menu card said,for it does not seem traceable to any of the area's languages. That Pliny,the Roman geographer, wrote, Adulis means `the City of Free Men' and amonument to Ptolemy without inscription once stood in the city. Apparently,the slaves escaping from the Pharaonic Egypt passed through Adulis on theirroute to freedom. May be this freedom now stands extended to American shores, to con one into eating whatever's placed before him -- andpay for it through the nose.
Published in the editorial page of the Indian Express on Thursday, February 24, 2000.
Thursday 24 February 2000
Adulis in America
http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/20000224/ied24056.html
Thursday, February 24, 2000
Time out
________________________________________
Adulis in America
By Maxwell Pereira
Freedom, but not so palatable
GIVING Shakespeare's famed and oft-repeated quote somewhat of a twist `What's in a name?'' appears on the reverse of the menu card of an Ethiopian restaurant on College Street in New Haven, in the USA. I was dining there recently with my daughter Indira and Neda her Iranian friend, who were keen on me sampling the variety of cuisine available in restaurants from different parts of the world in this university town that hosts Yale in picturesque Connecticut of North America.
Whenever we were lucky to be free from familial constraints, Indira would plan for us a new experience, much to the delight of my taste buds. A different restaurant each time. The Ethiopian restaurant was obviously Eritrean, as I learnt from a revealing story on the menu card, which went on to educate me that `Adulis' was an ancient port in Eritrea's bay of Zula. Was that why the place was named Cafe Adulis? I wouldn't know. But apparently Adulis was one of Africa's great lost cities, which was the main port of the Axumite Empire that flourished in the Horn of Africa during the 3rd Century BC. Its ruins, supposed to stand even today across the Red Sea from what is now known as Yemen.
I found nestling amidst the so-called traditional Eritrean dishes of Tsebhes and Tibsies our own Basmati, as were dishes like `Professor Soares's Soiree', an exotic sounding oven-baked fish filet of Tilapia with a sautee of leek, sun dried tomatoes, dried apricots, whole roasted tomatoes finished with a cabernet wine, all served over a bed of couscous and toppedwith sliced roasted almonds. As again, were `Master T's Favorite', ÿ don't miss the American spelling, the Roman `Caesar Salad', the Arab/Turkish/Greek `Hommous', the Spanish/Mexican `Ficracho' and` Injerrito', alongside the indecipherable tongue-twisters `Timtmo' or `Tibsie Ah'melmlti' claimed to be true Eritrean delicacies among the "hearty and zesty" vegetarian extravaganza that make fine entr‚es by themselves or as great compliment to the meat dishes one orders.
I learnt that the Tsebhes that unlock for you the magic and mystery ofnortheast Africa are unique and unforgettable dishes of meat or vegetablescooked in tomato sauce, their secret being the long simmering with berbere-- Eritrea's unique blends of sun dried hot peppers. And these are served oninjera - a sourdough crepe made from Teff - a variety of millet from East African highlands.
Immersed as I was in my menu card, I saw the food had arrived - served bynot Africans, but pretty, white, university students. The stuff placedbefore us reminded me of the one common central dish round which all satand partook from together - in homes of my childhood Muslim friends. Forall that had been ordered, appeared to have been dumped into one large and flat thali-type of a serving dish and placed in the centre of the table.Everything appeared sauced and sauteed up with the same dull white sauce --with no gourmet special taste to write home about. Even as I left therestaurant the nagging question remained -- why call the cafe Adulis?ÿPerhaps the puzzle was there, only to divert my attention from the mediocrefare presented. A thought further troubled me that night -- was all thatexpensive African glitter worth it?
I read on. The origin of the name Adulis is not known, the menu card said,for it does not seem traceable to any of the area's languages. That Pliny,the Roman geographer, wrote, Adulis means `the City of Free Men' and amonument to Ptolemy without inscription once stood in the city. Apparently,the slaves escaping from the Pharaonic Egypt passed through Adulis on theirroute to freedom. May be this freedom now stands extended to American shores, to con one into eating whatever's placed before him -- andpay for it through the nose.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Thursday, February 24, 2000
Time out
________________________________________
Adulis in America
By Maxwell Pereira
Freedom, but not so palatable
GIVING Shakespeare's famed and oft-repeated quote somewhat of a twist `What's in a name?'' appears on the reverse of the menu card of an Ethiopian restaurant on College Street in New Haven, in the USA. I was dining there recently with my daughter Indira and Neda her Iranian friend, who were keen on me sampling the variety of cuisine available in restaurants from different parts of the world in this university town that hosts Yale in picturesque Connecticut of North America.
Whenever we were lucky to be free from familial constraints, Indira would plan for us a new experience, much to the delight of my taste buds. A different restaurant each time. The Ethiopian restaurant was obviously Eritrean, as I learnt from a revealing story on the menu card, which went on to educate me that `Adulis' was an ancient port in Eritrea's bay of Zula. Was that why the place was named Cafe Adulis? I wouldn't know. But apparently Adulis was one of Africa's great lost cities, which was the main port of the Axumite Empire that flourished in the Horn of Africa during the 3rd Century BC. Its ruins, supposed to stand even today across the Red Sea from what is now known as Yemen.
I found nestling amidst the so-called traditional Eritrean dishes of Tsebhes and Tibsies our own Basmati, as were dishes like `Professor Soares's Soiree', an exotic sounding oven-baked fish filet of Tilapia with a sautee of leek, sun dried tomatoes, dried apricots, whole roasted tomatoes finished with a cabernet wine, all served over a bed of couscous and toppedwith sliced roasted almonds. As again, were `Master T's Favorite', ÿ don't miss the American spelling, the Roman `Caesar Salad', the Arab/Turkish/Greek `Hommous', the Spanish/Mexican `Ficracho' and` Injerrito', alongside the indecipherable tongue-twisters `Timtmo' or `Tibsie Ah'melmlti' claimed to be true Eritrean delicacies among the "hearty and zesty" vegetarian extravaganza that make fine entr‚es by themselves or as great compliment to the meat dishes one orders.
I learnt that the Tsebhes that unlock for you the magic and mystery ofnortheast Africa are unique and unforgettable dishes of meat or vegetablescooked in tomato sauce, their secret being the long simmering with berbere-- Eritrea's unique blends of sun dried hot peppers. And these are served oninjera - a sourdough crepe made from Teff - a variety of millet from East African highlands.
Immersed as I was in my menu card, I saw the food had arrived - served bynot Africans, but pretty, white, university students. The stuff placedbefore us reminded me of the one common central dish round which all satand partook from together - in homes of my childhood Muslim friends. Forall that had been ordered, appeared to have been dumped into one large and flat thali-type of a serving dish and placed in the centre of the table.Everything appeared sauced and sauteed up with the same dull white sauce --with no gourmet special taste to write home about. Even as I left therestaurant the nagging question remained -- why call the cafe Adulis?ÿPerhaps the puzzle was there, only to divert my attention from the mediocrefare presented. A thought further troubled me that night -- was all thatexpensive African glitter worth it?
I read on. The origin of the name Adulis is not known, the menu card said,for it does not seem traceable to any of the area's languages. That Pliny,the Roman geographer, wrote, Adulis means `the City of Free Men' and amonument to Ptolemy without inscription once stood in the city. Apparently,the slaves escaping from the Pharaonic Egypt passed through Adulis on theirroute to freedom. May be this freedom now stands extended to American shores, to con one into eating whatever's placed before him -- andpay for it through the nose.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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