When visiting Ethiopia, remember to try the local coffee and “Ethiopian banana,” enset! Coffee is the largest foreign exchange earner for Ethiopia. The country produces more coffee than any other nation on the continent. Starbucks is probably shaking in its boots!
Enset is also a very important local food source. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, enset is said to provide more amount of foodstuff per unit area than most cereals! The leaves of enset are a high-quality fiber. This makes them suitable for ropes, twine, baskets, and general weaving. The leaf-sheaths are also dried and used as packing material, similar to how foam and plastic are used. And, with the exception of the roots, the entire enset plant could be used to feed livestock; the fresh leaves are common food for cattle during the dry season, and many farmers feed their animals with residues of enset harvest or processing.