Chinese cuisine finds fans in Ethiopia 中国菜肴在埃塞俄比亚成功“圈粉”

卢新勇

中國菜肴赢得埃塞俄比亚人的青睐，究竟靠的是什么呢？

Zhou Tao， a 34⁃year⁃old native of Beijing， runs a restaurant named Xinjiang Restaurant Zhua Fun in Addis Ababa， offering a variety of Chinese cuisine focusing on Xinjiang cuisine to many Chinese there and a growing number of non⁃Chinese customers.

“Recognizing the increasing demand for Chinese dishes from the rising number of Chinese people in the city， my wife and I decided to open a Chinese restaurant here 10 years ago，” explains Zhou， adding that Chinese cuisine is also gaining popularity among Ethiopians. “About 70 percent of our customers are Chinese nationals while foreigners and local customers make up the balance.”

Wang Xianjun， another Chinese and a regular customer in Zhous restaurant， says the restaurant helps him and his colleagues there ease their homesickness.

Hermela Fanna is one of a growing number of Ethiopians with a taste for Chinese cuisine.

“It was my first time to eat Chinese food， which is contrary to my assumptions. I found it very tasty，” says Fanna， who shared a spicy chicken dish at the restaurant with her colleagues.

Rediet Mekete opened her Chinese restaurant Little China five years ago and currently runs four branches in Addis Ababa. Her ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant in Ethiopia began in Central Chinas Hunan Province where she found the food to be enjoyably spicy.

“I had to return to Hunan for a second time to learn Chinese cooking，” Mekete recalls. “Some Chinese foods are easy to make and are like fast food. They are spicy and salty and Ethiopians like them most，” she adds.

What kind of food are Ethiopians likely to enjoy according to the text？

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