An attempt at dessert and the blending of cultures

Tigray cuisine doesn’t have a dessert offering in the sense that Western cuisine does. Meals are usually ended with traditional coffee or tea accompanied by salted popcorn.

The meals may be followed by himbasha, or roasted grains and nuts; however, these aren’t particularly sweet. Country folk who keep bees might have fresh honeycomb. City folk might serve fruit – a speciality for the area is prickly pear. It is delicate to unfurl but the flesh is sweet.

These kind-of desserts are a mix of traditions, as are the lasagne and the beer-soaked barbecue rub that follow. An ultimately delicious melting pot.