Tej is Ethiopia’s traditional honey wine — a golden, sweet-to-sour beverage that has been brewed in the highlands for over 2,000 years. Served in bulbous glass vessels called berele, tej was the drink of Ethiopian royalty, poured at the courts of emperors and served at every major celebration from weddings to harvest festivals.
The Role of Gesho
Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) — sometimes called “Ethiopian hops” — is the bitter buckthorn plant that gives tej its distinctive edge. Without gesho, you have honey wine (hydromel). With gesho, you have tej. The bitterness balances the sweetness of the honey and acts as a natural preservative. The fermentation takes 10–14 days.
Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) — sometimes called “Ethiopian hops” — is the bitter buckthorn plant that gives tej its distinctive edge. Without gesho, you have honey wine (hydromel). With gesho, you have tej. The bitterness balances the sweetness of the honey and acts as a natural preservative. The fermentation takes 10–14 days.
