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Lulu Hypermarket celebrated its multi-ethnic offerings last week inaugurating the first-ever Ethiopian Business and Cultural Week at its Juffair location, and welcoming visitors to the Sri Lankan Produce & Food Mart at the Dana Mall.
Inaugurated in the presence of the Ethiopian Minister of State for Culture & Tourism, Her Excellency Bizunesh Meseret, the inauguration of the Ethiopian Business and Culture week gave over 100 guests a glimpse of Ethiopia’s emerging image as an entrepreneurial powerhouse and a peek into its culture and heritage.
“Ethiopia is an amazing and rich land and is famous since ancient times for its legendary gold mines, its natural beauty, history and culture. We are very happy to share some glimpses of this wonderful country with our customers,” said Lulu Regional Director Mr Kaleem.
The Honorary Consul for Ethiopia to Bahrain, Eskadar Girmay said the event was planned as an ice-breaker which would change the perceptions about Ethiopia among people in Bahrain.
“People in Bahrain are unaware of the innovation, business prosperity and tourism potential of Ethiopia. We thank Lulu Hypermarket for partnering us in bringing alive this message in the Kingdom,” she said.
With kiosks serving specially brewed Ethiopian coffee which affirmed the country’s status as the ‘birthplace of coffee’, the culinary journey extended to a lively cookery demo by celebrity Ethiopian chef Yohanis Gebreyesus.
Chef Yohanis, who trained at the famed Paul Bocuse Culinary Institute in Lyon and promotes healthy eating, using Ethiopian produce, demonstrated classic Ethiopian dishes to the audience with ingredients from Lulu Hypermarket.
“Chef Yohanis noted in comments to GulfWeekly: “Today, we made a traditional Ethiopian recipe from the highlands of my country, usually made at weddings. These days, a lot of these recipes are disappearing because of the extensive process.
“Today was a beautiful chance for me to showcase a beautiful dish that I want my people and the global community to appreciate so that we can preserve these intangible values that are slowly disappearing.
“I chose this recipe not just because of the technical aspect but more importantly, because of the story behind it. For me, the story is just as important as the preparation itself, both with meals and people.
“Growing up, I was inspired by my mom who was cooking all her life, even on her wedding day. My mom has a restaurant now in Ethiopia, which is where a lot of my childhood memories happened. But then I went to school for design. However when I came back to Ethiopia, I wanted to be a part of an accessible form of art, so I went into showcasing food, especially my cultural food as art.”
In the evening at Dana Mall, the Sri Lankan Produce & Food Mart, featuring promotions on Sri Lankan vegetables, exotic fruits and unique processed foods was inaugurated.
The launch also featured a performance of Sri Lankan folk and classical dances by the world-famous Chana Upuli Performing Arts Foundation. The Chana Upuli dance troupe also performed at the Cultural Hall and Bahrain Bay over the weekend.
“Lulu Hypermarket is delighted to present this showcase of abundance from Sri Lanka with the support of the Embassy of Sri Lanka,” said LuLu Group director Juzer Rupawala, “We thank Ambassador Pradeepa Saram for her initiative.”
Ambassador Saram thanked the Lulu Hypermarket, pointing out that the showcasing of Sri Lankan cuisine and culture was part of the 72nd National Day of Sri Lanka celebrations and the 28th anniversary of Sri-Lankan-Bahraini Diplomatic ties.
