Tej: Ethiopian Honey Wine | The African Drink Lab
Tej: Ethiopian Honey Wine
The golden honey wine of Ethiopia — brewed with gesho leaves, shared with grace, and steeped in history.
Tej is Ethiopia’s beloved honey wine — a golden, aromatic drink made with fermented honey, water, and the bittering stems of the gesho plant (Rhamnus prinoides). Women traditionally brew it at home, where it accompanies weddings, religious feasts, and family gatherings.
The African Gourmet’s easy home version combines dry white wine with honey to create a smooth, sweet-tasting cocktail reminiscent of traditional Tej — a perfect signature drink for celebrations or quiet reflection.
The Art of Brewing Tej
In Ethiopia, Tej is more than a drink — it’s a mark of hospitality and skill. The brewing process begins with mixing one part honey to five parts water in large wooden barrels. After a few days of fermentation, boiled and chopped gesho leaves are added. These act like hops in Western beer, balancing sweetness with a gentle bitterness and giving Tej its distinctive floral scent.
Once fermentation slows, a final touch of honey is stirred in for sweetness. The result is a drink that can range from gently sweet to sharply dry, depending on the brewer’s tradition. Tej is served in small vase-shaped glasses called birrille, held delicately between the fingers. The more Tej served at a ceremony, the higher the honor shown to guests.
Easy Tej Ethiopian Honey Wine Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups good-quality dry white wine
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup honey
Directions
Mix honey and water until fully dissolved. Chill until cold, then stir in white wine. Chill again before serving. This simplified version is sweet, fragrant, and ideal as a dessert wine or wedding cocktail.
About the Gesho Plant
Rhamnus prinoides, known as gesho in Amharic, is a small evergreen shrub central to Ethiopian brewing. Its leaves and stems act as a natural bittering agent in Tej and other fermented beverages, much like hops in beer. First recorded in 1788, the plant also carries medicinal, spiritual, and economic importance across Africa.
In rural life, gesho is used not only in drink-making but also as fuel, fence wood, and traditional medicine. Its leaves treat skin and lung infections, relieve rheumatism, and even serve as charms for protection and good fortune. Farmers in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa cultivate gesho as a cash crop, selling bundles of its stems and berries in local markets.
Did You Know?
Tej houses, or tej bets, are the cultural heartbeat of Ethiopian social life — modest in appearance but rich in music, debate, and laughter. Every region’s Tej has its own flavor, reflecting local honey varieties and brewing customs.
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