Out of Africa (+recipes)

Eritrean refugee Tsehaynesh Gebreneskel prepares Ingera. Photo / Babiche Martens

Once in a while we should all be lucky enough that an experience comes along which inspires us to think differently. Meeting last week with a family from Eritrea, a small country next to Ethiopia, who moved to New Zealand nine years ago did just that and had me spending many a moment gazing out the window considering the reasons we eat.

Forget about rushing around, grabbing something to fill a space, or making sure you have consumed the required nutrients for the day. For many mealtimes are still is a reason to spend time with those you love - time to talk, find out what has been happening - while enjoying food that people have taken the time to create.

Viva's photographer Babiche and I were welcomed into the fold of a most gracious and generous family. The table was laden with food; each dish's ingredients and cooking methods were painstakingly described and then we witnessed the time-honoured methods of creating food so incredibly delicious and simple.

All the while beautiful children ran around, elderly women sat and chatted and the feeling was one of calm and pride in providing for their guests.

There were too many dishes to photograph but the base of the meal was a type of pancake called ingera. Wheat, rice and cornflour are mixed with water and left to ferment for three days, creating a pancake batter type of mixture which is poured into a hot pan then covered and left to cook for a few minutes.

This is either used as a base on which to spoon other dishes or is torn to dip into food such as dorho - a sauce in which chicken is cooked with whole eggs, and shiro - a paste made from chana (similar to a small chickpea). Coffee is made from scratch.

The sharing of food among friends - old and new - is a wonderful thing. Try these delicious recipes. Like a new friend they'll delight and surprise you.