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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Italian cuisine dominates in the restaurants of the larger cities. Massawa is renowned for its excellent seafood, especially prawns and lobster. Staple food includes kitcha, a thin bread made from wheat, and injera, a spongy pancake. Local specialities are often very spicy.
Tea and espresso are drunk black with a lot of sugar. In some regions, coffee is served with ginger or black pepper and sugar. Fruit juices (banana, mango and papaya) are available.
Shopping: Good buys are gold and silver jewellery (sold by weight), woodcarvings, leather items, spears, drums, carpets and wicker goods. In marketplaces, a certain amount of bargaining is expected, but prices at shops in towns are usually fixed. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1300, 1430-2030 (regional variations occur).
Special Events: The following is a list of events that occur annually in Eritrea:
Feb Fenkil (a remembrance of the last days of the war fought to liberate the city of Massawa. Early Aug Eritrean Festival (exhibitions, musical shows and dances, a cultural event that lasts about ten days).
Social Conventions: Handshaking is the normal form of greeting. Casual tourist wear is suitable for most places, but visitors should dress modestly. For business, a suit is most appropriate. Tea or coffee is offered frequently to visitors. Smoking is not popular with traditional or elderly Eritreans. Shoes should be taken off in churches and, particularly, in mosques. Tipping: Hotels and restaurants add a service charge, usually around ten per cent. Tipping is fairly common, in small amounts. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped.
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