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Tere Sega (ጥሬ ስጋ), pronounced [tee-ré see-ga], in the literal sense means ‘raw meat’ in Amharic. It is a traditional dish that has been around for centuries in Ethiopian cuisine.

History
The history of Tere Sega and the tradition of eating raw meat in Ethiopia dates back centuries ago. In the past, during wars such as the Battle of Adwa, Ethiopian soldiers would eat their meat raw to prevent the enemy from smelling the aroma of cooked meat, seeing the fire or smoke and discovering their whereabouts. This battlefield cuisine became a tradition and stuck to the Ethiopian culture. Eating raw meat became a symbol of bravery and machismo in the Ethiopian culture. Besides the manly connotation associated to Tere Sega, it is also considered a “wealthy dish”. Those who can financially afford to buy ox’s, have them slaughtered and enjoy Tere Sega in the comfort of their homes are considered wealthy.

Preparation
The preparation process of Tere Sega is a ritual that has strict traditional guidelines and gendered roles. Women are traditionally in charge of cooking and preparing the meals while the slaughtering of sheep and cattle’s is strictly done by men only. Tere Sega requires no preparation, it is eaten by hand and is served with Injera. Injera is a cultural sourdough flatbread made from teff. Ethiopians use it to scoop and wrap the diced raw meat in. However, in the Gurage tribe of Ethiopia, they use qocho instead of Injera. Qocho is a fermented bread made from false banana leafs. Tere Sega is often accompanied by a side of gomen (Ethiopian collard greens) and a side of ayib which is a fresh and soft Ethiopian cottage cheese. Different traditional chili pastes such as awaze and mitmita are served with Tere Sega. These pastes are used as dips to enhance the flavor of the dish and make it spicier.

Variety
Kitfo is the most common version of Tere Sega. It originates from the Gurage tribe in the southern region of Ethiopia but is consumed in all parts of the country. While Tere Sega is usually chunky diced cubes of raw meat, Kitfo on the other hand refers to minced raw meat that is marinated in butter and spices. The spiced Butter (also known as Niter kibbeh) is an essential ingredient that makes Kitfo tender and savory.

When Tere Sega is lightly cooked it is referred to as lebleb but when it is fully cooked it is referred to as Tibs.

When/ Where is it eaten?
Tere Sega is considered a traditional ceremonial and festive dish that is usually eaten collectively at weddings, in Sega Bets or during national holidays.

Sega Bet
Sega Bet pronounced [see-ga bae-yit] means “meat house” in Amharic. In Addis Abeba and all over the country there are small eateries called Sega bets designed to serve Tere Sega to the people. These eateries are connected to butcheries where they get their fresh meat from. The customers select the portion of raw meat they want and are served with a small knife (to cut the meat into small pieces), Injera, sauces to dip the meat in and liquor. Raw meat in the capital of Addis Ababa can cost up to 240 birr per Kilo (£8).

Wedding
Cultural Ethiopian weddings are one of the most common events for people to consume Tere Sega. Having raw and fresh meat at an Ethiopian wedding is a sign of respect for the guests and an opportunity to flaunt the newlywed’s wealth.

National Holiday
The consumption of Tere Sega and raw meat in Ethiopia has an association with the religious belief of the people as well. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church which is the dominating religion in Ethiopia, abstains the people from consuming meat and dairy products during the Easter fasting period which lasts from February through March. Once the fasting period is over people celebrate by eating Tere Sega, either at Sega Bet’s or in their houses if they can afford to buy an ox.

Often, on the holidays, neighbours come together and pitch in to buy a large ox and divide the meat equally between each other. This helps save money however the more people contribute to the ox the smaller the portions are. This cultural ceremony of dividing meat amongst a community is called a kircha and is a very common practice in the rural parts of Ethiopia where locals cannot afford a cattle on their own.

Health Risks
There are many infectious health risks related to consuming Tere Sega. Eating raw meat can cause illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria. The symptoms related to these illnesses include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Cooking the meat is the best way to ensure the bacteria in raw meat is gone. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these symptoms may be severe enough to cause death if they are not treated. However, regardless of the health risks, Ethiopians continue to eat Tere Sega and take pride in their tradition of consuming raw meat. In fact, in the rural parts of Ethiopia, where locals don’t have access to prescriptions, villagers have found a way to get rid of tapeworms by eating a plant called hagenia.