What's Wat?

No, that’s not a typo in the title. But it may sound like an old Abbott and Costello routine. Wat is what’s for dinner, at least most of the time. Wat is a spicy sauce that contains some kind of meat usually, although a spicy sauce of tomato and purple onions is also served. Everything is cut up very fine and cooked just ‘til warm. Saves fuel, don’t you know.

     The national dish is called Doro Wat and is chicken cooked in this sauce. It’s quite good and is Roscoe the Super Puppy’s favorite dish. Well, the chicken anyway. Other wats are made of beef, lamb, goat, pretty much what they’ve got. In restaurants they make a distinction between kinds of meat. At home or in the butcher store, it’s just meat.

     The bulk of the meal is always enjera, of course, and many vegetables and fruit. It’s somewhat seasonal, although here in Tigray the moderate and constant temperature lets anything grow all year long, IF there is irrigation. Right now mangoes are in and they are really good. Bananas are iffy right now. Most of them come from the south of the country and there are more seasonal variations there. The same is true for oranges, although after a time of tasting more like lemons, they are improving again.

     Did we mention that spinach is good and cheap and served to us regularly? Spinach can be spinach, kale, Swiss chard, whatever is for sale right now. We like it a lot, but after months of spinach almost every meal, we aren’t as crazy about it as we were.

     Potatoes are always available and plentiful. They are good and fresh. Sometimes Mowcha fries up a thinly sliced potato, like chips, and we enjoy them. Fortunately we don’t get them more than two or three times a month, because they aren’t really the healthiest way to enjoy potatoes. Ain’t that always the way, though?

     Speaking of Mowcha, she hasn’t been feeling well, complaining of pain in her abdomen. She went to the clinic Friday, but they were closed, so she came home. We wanted to take her to our doctor at the Kidus Clinic, but she refused. It is interesting that being independent and headstrong is almost genetic here. A proud, independent people these Tigrinya. That fact helps to explain why the British, who could have easily colonized this country when they came to rescue hostages of Emperor Theodore (Tedros), simply gave all their weapons and supplies to Atse Yohannes and went back home. You can read a very interesting book, “The Blue Nile,” that has a very large section devoted to this time period.

     So that’s what’s wat. Let me close by telling you that I think I’ll start another blog, one I’m currently titling “Cracked Pots with Clay Feet.” It will be a love story about the things that cross missionary minds. It will be honest, but often hard to read (substitute “convicting” for hard to read. I know that many of you just want to know what’s happening with us. For you, this blog will continue to give you interesting facts and stories like my recent “Ted and the Armored Car.”

     Cracked Pots will delve deeper, like; how I handle the little beggar girl in the filthy party dress who has no hands. I handle it badly, I think, and will gladly tell you why in the new blog. Be warned however, it will not be filled with warm fuzzy stuff. Read it at your peril. I’ll send an email with the link when I have it ready to go online.