6. Finding and Buying Gesho
GESHO IS NOT AN ITEM that you can pick up at your local Piggly Wiggly on the way home from work. You'll only find it in major urban areas that have an Ethiopian population large enough to support an Ethiopian grocery store, and even then, not all stores will carry it (Ethiopians tend to bring gesho from back home when they visit family).
The gesho plant is more or less a staple in Ethiopia, where tej is beloved by all and gesho is essential to its creation. In the 1991 book Plant Genetic Resources of Ethiopia, author Jan Engels has a short entry on gesho:
Rhamnus prinoides. Buckthorn or "gesho" is found growing in the wild all over Ethiopia between 1500 and 2000 m, but it is cultivated well, sometimes even on a larger scale as a field crop. Rhamnus covers about 5000 ha of the land under permanent production (Jansen, 1981). It is a woody bush, whose leaves are used like hops for the preparation of alcoholic beverages such as 'tala" and 'tej,' which are common household drinks in the country. 'Gesho" is widespread all over the country. It serves the needs of the people so well that at least at the moment no improvement is needed.
So far, I have found two online U.S. companies that sell gesho, each with a web site that allow you to order easily:
Revvy's edit- Only this ordering link works.
Habesh Foods, searched "Gesho"of Cantonsville, Md., also sells gesho, along with several other Ethiopian products. Phone: 410.689.8401, 301.605.2531, 571.265.5382. E-mail: Visit the web site for a form to contact the company.
The Washington, D.C., area hosts the largest population of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia, and it abounds with places to buy gesho over the counter. Surprisingly, I have a hard time finding gesho at grocery stores within the district. But in several Maryland and Virginia towns that abut D.C., gesho is abundant. These shops aren't difficult to find by car with directions from Mapquest. Or you could always call them to see if they're willing to ship you some gesho. (I buy mine in person a few times a year when I visit D.C.) Prices vary, sometimes between grocery stores right across the street from each other.
Here are some places that I can recommend if you're on the market for gesho inchet. I've visited all of these grocery stories and chatted with the owners, who are always very helpful and friendly. I'll also direct you to some gesho kitel, although as I say above, in the section on tej recipes, I prefer the inchet and recommend it for novice tej makers. But be forewarned: The availability of the gesho comes and goes. Sometimes the Ethiopian suppliers are reliable, and the markets run out. Prices, too, can change. In fact, as demand for the product grows, so does the cost.
Nile Market, 7815 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. (202.882.1130). During the summer of 2009, this market had some beautiful thick gesho stick for a remarkably low $7.95 a pound. And while you're at it, have a meal at the adjoining restaurant. The veggie combo platter is delicious and generous.
Sheger Market, 912 East/West Highway, Takoma Park, MD (301.270.0200). This tiny market has the best price for gesho that I've found: $13/pound in 2009 (up from $8.50/pound the year before). They sell in bulk from large burlap sacks of gesho, so you can buy as much or as little as you like. The market is just outside the district. It's around the corner from Arada Market, which also has gesho, but at $15/pound.
Woder Market, 7845 Eastern Ave., Silver Spring, MD (301.562.5901). Located just off Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, literally a block from the Maryland/District border, this shop also sold in bulk for the very nice $8.50/pound in 2008, but the market didn't have any to sell when I stopped by in 2009.
Dessie Market/Restaurant, 2655 University Blvd, Wheaton, MD (301.933.5580). Lishan Demekristos, the owner of this homey establishment, sells gesho in small pre-sealed bags. She also has a restaurant adjacent to the market, and her food is excellent, so if you buy your gesho here, plan to stay for lunch or dinner.
Addisu Gebeya, 2202 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. (202.986.6013). Gesho inchet can be hard to find here: It tends to sell out quickly when they get some in stock. Gesho kitel is a little bit more abundant.
In Chicago, you can find gesho at two locations: Homeland Food Market, 6046 North Broadway (773.973.1445), an African market that sells products from many African countries, and which has some gesho inchet in pre-sealed bags; and Lili Market, 1614 W. Devon St. (773.465.7315), which sells a very fine gesho kitel powder. The powder doesn't make the best tej, but it works. The stick at Homeland is very good, but they don't have a lot of it, and I don't think they restock often. The friendly folks at Kululu Market, 6129 N. Broadway (773.262.3169) sell gesho, but they don't always have it in stock.
The Los Angeles Ethiopian community has a cluster of shops and restaurants along a block on South Fairfax Street that they call Little Ethiopia, and Merkato Market (323.935.1775), in the heart of Little Ethiopia, is rich with Ethiopian products. You can also get gesho inchet online or over the counter from Brundo Ethiopian Spices in Oakland, noted above.
Toronto has a well-developed Ethiopian community. You can find gesho there at Ethiopian Spices (416.598.3014), a grocery story on Kensington Avenue. The company does not have a web site.
Several other U.S. cities have Ethiopian grocery stores, often combined with restaurants. They probably stock gesho, but they have no web sites, so you'll need to order by phone if they do mail order. You can try: Addis Grocery and Deli in New Orleans, 504.891.7500; Merkato Ethiopian Music and Food Store in Portland, Ore., 503.331.9283; Maru Grocery in Houston, 713.665.6662; Hirut Ethiopian Grocery, Dallas (Sachse, Texas), 972.530.5128; and Zuma Grocery, Seattle, 206.781.8600. I welcome information on others. New York City has a surprisingly small Ethiopian community (about 2,500 people) and no Ethiopian markets since Abyssinia Ethiopian Grocery in Harlem closed a few years ago. And finally, there's South End Food Emporium in Boston, 617.536.7172. This specialty shop isn't exclusively Ethiopian, but it sells Ethiopian spices, injera and gesho.
All in all, then, Washington is your best bet for finding gesho. Unfortunately, none of the Ethiopian grocery stores along D.C.'s U Street seem to carry gesho. U Street, which has lately become known as "Little Ethiopia," is lined with Ethiopian restaurants, markets and businesses. It's the place to go to immerse yourself in Ethiopian food and culture in Washington. But alas, you cannot find gesho there - at least, not yet. You can, however, get excellent meals at restaurants like Axum (my personal favorite), Ambassador (across the street from Axum), Madget, and the touristy (but still very tasty) Dukem.
