Confession: I chose to travel to Ethiopia because I’ve been in love with Ethiopian cuisine since I first tried it in New York City. I expected to eat well as a vegan, but imagine my delight when I learnt that their Orthodox Christianity beliefs have most locals eating fasting food (aka no animal products) for several parts of the year; the idea is similar to lent, where believers are expected to give up on food they relish, eat ‘simple’ meals, and feel the suffering of their fellows. That means I could walk into any restaurant – Ethiopian or otherwise – in the country and ask for fasting food, without having to explain that I don’t eat meat, seafood, dairy or eggs.

I still salivate at the thought of fasting beyaynetus (a spread of vegan dishes served on injera), shiro (pureed chickpeas served on injera) and firfir (injera fried with berbere); I even found fasting cupcakes and other bakery delights. It’s been my easiest and most delightful country as a vegan thus far! 

Source: https://the-shooting-star.com/2016/07/17/my-first-impressions-of-ethiopia/