Tej: The Ancient Honey Wine of Ethiopia
Sweet, deceptively potent, and served in a glass flask. Discovering Ethiopia’s favorite traditional alcoholic beverage.
Mule Ethiopia Tour — Local Team
Addis Ababa · Licensed Ethiopian Tourism Guides
Mule Ethiopia Tour — Local Team
Addis Ababa · Licensed Ethiopian Tourism Guides
The Drink of Kings
Tej (tej) is a traditional Ethiopian mead, a wine made by fermenting honey with water and a special bittering agent. Historically, it was a luxurious drink reserved for emperors and nobility, but today it is enjoyed across the country in specialized bars known as Tej Bets.
The Magic Ingredient: Gesho
What makes tej unique from European meads is the use of gesho, a species of buckthorn native to Ethiopia. The leaves and stems of the gesho plant are added to the fermenting honey mixture, imparting a slightly bitter, hoppy flavor that perfectly balances the intense sweetness of the honey.
The Berele
Tej is traditionally served in a berele, a small, round-bottomed glass flask with a long, narrow neck. You cradle the bowl in your palm and sip the cloudy yellow liquid from the neck. It is a fun and highly photogenic way to drink!
Deceptively Strong
Because of its sweet, smooth taste, tej goes down very easily. However, depending on how long it has been fermented, the alcohol content can range from a mild 7% to a very potent 15% or more. A night at a Tej Bet, listening to live Azmari musicians while sipping from a berele, is a joyful cultural immersion, just pace yourself!
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