Taste of Home

A look inside the kitchen to reveal how food and culture can spice up a community

By Darienne Stiyer June 4, 2019

A steaming cup of traditional Ethiopian tea makes its way through the small, nine-table restaurant to the table of an eagerly waiting customer. The delicate porcelain cup and saucer on which it is served are colorfully painted with the story of Queen Sheba and King Solomon – a personal touch that many customers notice and appreciate. But what most people don’t know is that all the chinaware were gifts from an appreciative customer, just like the pale blue silk scarf draped over one of the paintings and the traditionally woven flour sifters hanging on the wall. These three items are just a sample of the gifts customers give Meklit Fikre, the chef and owner of Addis Ethiopian Cuisine, as thanks for the food she cooks for the Eugene and Springfield communities.

“One lady loved the food so much she took off her earrings and just gave them to me,” Fikre said with a chuckle.

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