So as my 40th birthday grows ever closer, I’ve planned a grand adventure to Egypt, to search out the sun temples, the lost city of Ra, and for the solstice itself (my birthday) the Great Pyramid.
As a parting gift my colleagues and I went to Merkato, on Caledonian Road, about ½ mile north of Addis, for a feast of injura and (in my case) various spicy lamb dishes.
The food was more interesting than Addis, but perhaps not to the same quality as from the Zigni House, although they have now dramatically changed their menu so not sure if that still holds to be true.
The ambiance was more of a friendly café than the almost clinical Addis, with their surly staff, so given the choice I’d heartedly recommend the extra walk. And then to the mead, which somewhat disappointedly came in a standard wine bottle, rather than the bulbous jar, Zigni served their mead in.
The mead was home made, and looked and smelt like a rough scrumpy. A cloudy yellow with an acidic smell, the first sip had a bite to it. A sip or two later and the faint sweetness of honey emerged but this is a seriously bitter mead.
I had intended to take some of the bottle home for further tasting but I seem to have drunk it in one, so I’m not sure my memories are entirely accurate. As an unlabelled mead, I’ve no idea how strong it was, and as a birthday gift I can’t recall the price.
But all in all a interesting, but bitter, experience, and perhaps the shadow of Egyptian delights to come.
