Ari Villages

The Ari are the most ‘modern’ of the region’s ethnic groups. They dress no differently than city dwellers these days, but life in Ari villages (የአሪ መንደር) remains interesting. In almost all villages you’ll meet potters, blacksmiths and women grinding grain to make the Ari version of injera, which uses maize or sorghum instead of tef and has dagussa (‘finger millet’) mixed into it. If you’re lucky someone may invite you to try bunaketele, a delicious drink made from coffee leaves, chillies and several spices including lemongrass.