Ancestral Heat: Spices, Castles, and a Call to Ethiopia

A few days ago, Alicia Elias—Director of Global Operations at the Across the King’s River Foundation and a “dedicated soldier” in the King’s Circle—messaged me on WhatsApp with a simple question:

“Are you going to cook something with your spices this weekend?”

She had sent me Ethiopian spices. Ethiopian coffee. And a jar of honey too.

The honey is dark—and it has cumin in it. So good.

Every gift pointed back to the kitchen—to heat, flavor, and intention.

That’s when the spices really came into focus.

A big bag of berbere and a small bag of mitmita.

“The mitmita—be careful with it,” she warned. "They put that in kitfo and dulet. It’s also used on the side of the food like a pepper sauce. You dip your fingers in it after picking up the food with injera.”

Ancient flavors. Thoughtful gifts. Tradition passed hand to hand.

I’m a lucky man.

And Alicia and I are excited.

We’re planning a retreat to Ethiopia this September. We’ll explore ancient sites in Addis Ababa and travel north to Gondar—the Camelot of Africa—where stone castles still remember ancient kings.

You’ll experience a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony too.

King’s Circle members—and a few others—will get the best discounted rate, and you’ll be able to secure a spot before I mention it to anyone else in my fan base.

We’re limiting the trip to ten people. There are only ten seats—and you can be one of them.

We’ll have all the details for y’all soon.

In the meantime, back to Alicia’s question.

What should I cook with the spices?

Lamb tibs is one of my favorite Ethiopian dishes. I’ve never made it at home, but with these spices, it feels like the right moment to try.

I’ll fire up the pan this afternoon and let you know how it turns out.

And in the meantime, think about coming to Ethiopia with us.

Some invitations don’t come from people. They come from your ancestors.

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