Eritrea: What to Know Before You Go

Cuisine Highlights

• Injera and zigni, spongy sourdough flatbread eaten with a deeply spiced lamb or beef stew seasoned with berbere (a red chili-spice blend)
• Tsebhi derho, chicken stew in a rich sauce made from berbere, niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter), and onions; eaten ceremonially at celebrations
• Hilbet, a thick paste made from ground fava beans and lentils; eaten with injera; nutritious and affordable; a staple of highland Eritrea
• Suwa, traditional home-brewed sorghum beer; mildly alcoholic and cloudy; drunk from communal clay pots at social gatherings

Traditions & Festivals

• Independence Day (May 24), celebrates liberation from Ethiopian rule in 1993 after a 30-year armed struggle; the most important and emotionally charged national day
• Meskel (Finding of the True Cross), major Orthodox Christian holiday; enormous bonfires (demera) are lit and communities gather for ceremonies
• Eid Al-Fitr, celebrated by the Muslim half of the population with prayers, feasting, and communal gatherings

Language & Communication

Tigrinya, Arabic, and English are the working languages. Nine languages have official recognition.

Key Tigrinya phrase: "Selam" (ሰላም) means hello. Eritrea is one of the world's most isolated and tightly controlled countries, it is often called "the North Korea of Africa"; visas are difficult to obtain and movement is restricted.

A government permit (travel pass) is required to leave Asmara. Check current advisories; conscription and border tensions with Ethiopia are ongoing issues.

Cultural Etiquette

• Eritreans are extremely proud of their independence and the sacrifices made to achieve it, expressing genuine respect for their struggle is deeply appreciated
• Asmara's Italian colonial architecture is extraordinary, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with remarkable Art Deco and Futurist buildings
• Political discussion should be completely avoided, the government is highly authoritarian and locals can face consequences for conversations with foreigners
• Coffee ceremony (bun) is a central social ritual, three cups must be drunk; leaving after one cup is considered disrespectful