"Had to taste the Raw meat | Eritrean | Ethiopian delicacy 😊," he captioned the video showing chefs serving cubes of raw beef on his plate. It's hard to tell if he tried it because the video cuts off before he and his companion start eating. Hopefully, we'll get a raving review.
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Ethiopians have been eating raw meat for three millennia and it is said to have originated from wars waged by neighbouring communities.
Historians trace the beginning of Ethiopians eating raw meat back to the 16th century. The Abyssinian-Adal War, which lasted for a century and was fought intermittently between the Ethiopian Empire and the Somali Adal Sultanate in the sixteenth century, answers why Ethiopians eat raw meat.
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The Ethiopian raw meat dish is called Kitfo.
When it seemed that the Ethiopians would lose the war, the soldiers began eating raw flesh as a tactical strategy. They would eat raw flesh in fear that the smoke and fire would give away their location.
Other cultures that enjoy a well-prepared plate of raw meat include:
- Sashimi, a Japanese dish made with thinly sliced raw fish or meat, typically served with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.
- Tataki, a Japanese dish made with thinly sliced raw or seared beef, fish, or pork, typically served with a sauce made from soy sauce, citrus juice, and green onions.
- Carpaccio, an Italian dish made with thin slices of raw beef or fish, typically served with a lemon or vinegar dressing and garnished with herbs and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Steak Tartare, a French dish made with finely chopped raw beef or horse meat, typically served with onions, capers, and a raw egg yolk.
- Kuai, a Korean dish made with raw beef, pork, or octopus. It is typically served with a spicy sauce made from gochujang (red pepper paste) and garlic.
