Chef Sahara Sintayo-Obende tells us about Memories of Ethiopia Lagos – a pop-up restaurant for Ethiopian food in Lagos, her journey into creating Memories of Ethiopia, her love for her traditional Ethiopian cuisine, and future plans for the pop-up restaurant in Lagos, Nigeria. 

Sahara Sintayo is an indigene of Ethiopia who is passionate about sharing her culture and it’s food with people,

Tell us a bit about yourself 

My name is Sahara Sintayo. I’m from Ethiopia, grew up in Kenya and I’m married to a Nigerian. My background is in Computer Science, from which I migrated to advertising and branding, and now I’m a Chef. 

You have a background in computer science. Why did you decide to switch so radically into the food industry?

It wasn’t something I planned; it just happened. I’ve always cooked, especially while I was an undergraduate in Namibia. I used to cook for my friends. Sometimes, I even catered for friends’ parties. I grew up around food; my mom had a small eatery, and we would work there during the holidays. 

When did you decide to become a Chef?

A friend and I started a restaurant called Kaldi House two years ago, in Ilupeju. It started as a trial, but then it kept growing. We had to leave though, because of the location. That was when I started the pop-up and the food delivery business because the demand was still there. 

What was the inspiration behind creating Memories of Ethiopia?

Even though I grew up in Kenya, Ethiopia is still my home. I grew up with Ethiopian food, cooking with my mom. She taught me everything I know about cooking Ethiopian food. Now, living in Nigeria, it’s a way of celebrating my heritage and it keeps me grounded in Lagos. It keeps me connected to my home, family, and childhood. It‘s also a way of sharing my culture with other people. For many of my clients, Memories of Ethiopia, Lagos means being able to relive their experiences there because quite a number of them have lived, schooled in or traveled to Ethiopia. For those who have never been, or never had Ethiopian food, it’s an avenue to create new memories. 

Africa is slightly homogeneous when it comes to food. Are there any similarities between Ethiopian and Nigerian cuisine?

There aren’t many similarities in terms of the spices used. West African spices are quite different from Ethiopian spices. I’d say the peppers might be similar because we use a lot of dry pepper and paprika in our food. The stews look identical but don’t taste the same because the spices are predominantly different from each other. For instance, the Ethiopian chicken stew Doro Wat looks like the regular bukka stew, but it tastes quite different because we use a lot of herbs. Nigerian food is amazing, but it takes some getting used to. The flavours are quite distinct. But it’s all delicious food, and that always brings people together. 

Tell us about Memories of Ethiopia Lagos

It has been great. It can become more significant, but it’s been going well. 

What is your favourite part of running a pop-up restaurant in Lagos?

My favourite part has to be meeting new people and sharing with them and seeing how they enjoy the food and experience. A lot of my customers don’t know about East African and Ethiopian food, so it’s great to share. And like I said earlier, it keeps me connected to my roots. 

What is your favourite thing to cook, and why?

Everything! But also, the simplest things get me excited. For example, Shiro, dried chickpea soup, whose process is straightforward, I know when it’s not done correctly. In its simplicity, there’s a lot of complexity, and if it’s not done right, it tastes bland. I also like making Injera. It’s a lot of work, but every time is different. Baking bread is quite addictive because you want to try new things and do it over and over again. I find that exciting as well. 

Are there any traditional Ethiopian desserts?

Not really, we drink coffee and have popcorn after meals, but that’s it. There are pastries, mostly because of the short colonisation by Italians, but nothing that’s traditionally Ethiopian. It’s the Western influence. 

Tell us about a particularly memorable experience around Memories of Ethiopia, Lagos.

Every event is memorable for me because I meet different people, especially those who have lived in Ethiopia. A memorable one was when I met a lady in her seventies if I’m not mistaken. She had worked in the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia and she was so excited because it reminded her of her time in Addis. She sat with me and told me stories about how it was in the eighties and nineties. I didn’t grow up in Ethiopia so I like hearing stories of how it was back in the day. 

Heartwarming. What is one thing you are most proud of?

Having the opportunity to share my culture with Nigeria, is something I’m proud of. My son is both Ethiopian and Nigerian so these are two most important cultures to him. He’s able to appreciate his Ethiopian heritage because of what I’m doing, so I love that he’s able to exist within the two cultures. I’m also proud to be the first person to do this in Lagos. 

It is something to be proud of. Any future plans?

Yes, the idea is to keep it going, and hopefully in a few years, open a restaurant. 

When is the next event happening?

It’s supposed to be on Saturday but because of the second wave of COVID, we might have to push it forward. 

Before we go, let’s play a little this or that game:

Oregano or Parsley? Oregano

Chicken or Turkey? Chicken

Dine-in or Dine-out? Dine-in

Sweet or Savoury? Sweet

Ice cream or Fro-yo? Ice-cream. 

Be on the lookout to experience Ethiopian Food in Lagos from any of Memories of Ethiopia’s Pop-ups in the future

Memories of Ethiopia Lagos can be found on Instagram and via their website

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