Tella

Tella or talla (Amharic ጠላ; farsoo, siwa) is a traditional beer from Ethiopia. It is brewed from various grains, which can change depending on location. These typically include barley or teff. Depending on region, wheat, sorghum, or corn may be used; spices can also be added. Dried and ground shiny-leaf buckthorn leaves are used for fermentation. The drink is made in a clay pot. The pot is washed with a plant called grawa. After rinsing it is smoked with weyra or Abyssinian rose. The alcohol content of tella is usually around 2–4 volume percent.

Tella is often home-brewed. It may be offered in tella houses (tellabet) or served in the home. In urban areas, the drink is used on special occasions like holidays or weddings.

Tella was commonly used for kiddush by the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews). Tella was used because wine was often unavailable. Due to the availability of wine in Israel, Ethiopian-Israelis generally use wine for kiddush instead of tella.