Italian cuisine dominates in the restaurants of the larger cities. Massawa is renowned for its excellent seafood, especially prawns and lobster.

National specialities:
• Kitcha (a thin bread made from wheat).
• Injera (a spongy pancake).
• Tsebhi (meat sauté of either lamb or beef with fresh tomatoes and hot peppers).
• Alicha birsen (lentil curry).

National drinks:
• Bun (coffee) and shahi (plain tea). Tea and espresso are drunk black with a lot of sugar. In some regions, coffee is served with ginger or black pepper and sugar.
• Swa (beer brewed from a local grain).
• Fruit juices (banana, mango and papaya) are usually available.

Tipping: Hotels and restaurants add a service charge, usually around 10%. Tipping is fairly common, in small amounts. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped.

Good buys are gold and silver jewellery (sold by weight), woodcarvings, leather items, spears, drums, carpets and wicker goods. A certain amount of bargaining is expected in marketplaces but prices at shops in towns are usually fixed.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1300, 1430-2030 (regional variations occur).