"Dahlak is a famous Ethopian restaurant in West Philly. It has earned its reputation with hearty meals at great prices, in a great atmosphere."
-trishbiedron from Citysearch - Philly
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The name “Dahlak” evoked a vision of the exotic islands bordering the ancient body of water. Eritrea, a country richly endowed with natural resources, magnificent scenery, a myriad of wildlife, steeped in centuries old traditions, and home of the fabled Queen of Sheba.
More than 200 of Eritrea’s islands belong to the Dahlak archipelago with a great opportunity for yacht cruising (scuba) diving and (pearl) fishing... more
In 1998 a cranium of a hominid, an intermediate between a Homo erectus and an archaic Homo sapiens was found in Buya, Eritrea by American scientists dated to over 1 million years old (the oldest of its kind), providing a link between hominids and the earliest humans. It is also believed that Eritrea was on the route out of Africa that was used by early man to colonize the rest of the Old World...more from wikipedia
links
The Eritrean Cuisine - wikipedia
"Wat" Food - wikipedia
Ethiopian Injera Recipe - Science of Bread
Zagat Survey - Eat, Drink, Stay, Play
Eritrean Culture - wikipedia
Ethiopian Language - wikipedia
Dining in Eritrea is characterized by the ritual breaking of Injera and eating from the same plate on a mesob, signifies bonds of loyalty and friendship. The quintessence of those bonds is often demonstrated in the form of "Mukilas" that is, the placing of food on mouth of another diner from one's own "hand." Injera, the traditional bread, is part of every entree. It is a large crepe/ pancake upon which the various stew-like dishes are served. The traditional way of eating is with the fingers, which is in itself a delicate art.
In this manner, a bite-sized piece of Injera is broken off to pick up a
mouthful of the chosen dish. Our dishes are characterized by their
variety of spices, used to give them their exotic taste. Tsebhi,
which is stew like dish, comes in a variety of forms-beef, lamb,
chicken and vegetables. These range from very spicy(with berbere)
to very mild. The more delicately seasoned Tsebhi are called
Alicha which contains no berbere. Fitfit, another exotic staple, is a
combination dish prepared with broken bits of Injera itself. Tesmi,
a specially prepared butter, is a key ingredient used to give these
dishes their exotic flavor.
Vegetarian dishes are also a staple of our cuisine, especially during lent, a period before Easter. Eritrean Orthodox Christians are prohibited from eating all meat and milk and by-products such as milk, cheese and butter until Easter. Yet the variety of Tsebhi and other dishes made of lentils, peas and other vegetables are just as exotic and tasty as those containing meats.
