ABSTRACT
Unlike Musa and Plantain, which produce edible fruits, it is the root of Ensete and the inner layers of the pseudostem that provide substance for food. After harvesting, these parts of the plant are decorticated to extract the edible portion which is then chopped, minced and kneaded into a fibrous pulp, the consistency of which is similar to mashed unripened yams. Small batches of the pulp, measured in quantities sufficient to supply food for three to four days, are wrapped in Ensete fronds and buried in deep earth-pits sunk in the garden of each homestead to allow fermentation. Fermentation in the earth-pits, which continues from two months to several years, produces in the food a sour, unpleasant odour that permeates the garden area, especially when the earth-pits are opened. Gurage themselves are quite sensitive to the smell and frequently comment about it; Ethiopians of other ethnic groups and foreigners unaccustomed to the Gurage diet usually experience difficulty in digesting Ensete. Indeed, Gurage complaints of stomach disorders are not infrequently attributed to having eaten Ensete before it had been properly fermented. However, when removed from storage in the earth-pits, the pulp is again kneaded, shaped into a large, round, flat, but slightly thick pancakelike 'bread' which Gurage call wusa. Wusa is pan-fried, rather than ovenbaked, on an uncovered metal disc that has been greased lighdy with oil pressed from nug-seeds (Guizota abyssinica). On ceremonial occasions, or when important guests are feasted, the finest quality Ensete is used to make wusa; it is called tdquraya.
