The Chat chewers of Harar, Day 323

Hyena feeding, Harar, Day 322 Market day, Harar, Day 324

The Chat chewers of Harar, Day 323

Perhaps the most defining aspect to life in Harar (at least for the men) is the chewing of chat, an addictive stimulant. Locals buy the stuff by the bushel from Oromo women – the chat peddlers of Harar. It is customary in this town in eastern Ethiopia to have an extended lunch that culminates in a chat-chewing session. Consequently, little business gets done until after 3 pm (one could argue that not that much business actually gets done before 3 pm either!).

Chat is a narcotic leaf from a slow-growing shrub called Catha edulis found all over the Horn of Africa and Yemen. The shrub typically attains a height of between 1 – 2 meters (3.3 – 6.6 ft). The plant usually grows in arid environments, at a temperature range of 5-35oC (41-95oF). It has evergreen leaves with a small flower comprising 5 white petals. It’s legal and hugely popular in this region. In Harari culture it’s mostly the men who chew, although some women do as well. Many people have a regular birtcha (chat-chewing session) where they meet most afternoons to socialize and work – with an emphasis on socializing. It has been argued that chat aids concentration and acuity, which should therefore benefit productivity in the workplace or studying for exams (and writing blog posts?). Manual laborers are keen to point out that it helps physical work to, but most disturbing of all is the fact that bus drivers and truck drivers get through huge quantities of the stuff to keep them awake during long journeys. This may explain why we arrived 90 minutes ahead of schedule on our Sky Bus ride from Addis Ababa a few days ago.

Like all substances, chat has side effects. Chewing too much can lead to sleeplessness and constipation. Long-term use can also lead to mental instability. On the other hand, it has weight-loss promoting characteristics, since chat acts as an appetite suppressant. So not only are you happy, but you are losing weight at the same time. Hey, perhaps you are happy because you are losing weight. Any dodgy drug companies out there reading this? Maybe there is a commercial application in the West. Just a thought. Chat-chewing can lead to a bad end, though so be warned. Christi and I do see the occasional guy in ragged clothes and with wild eyes wandering the streets collecting discarded chat leaves that people have dropped onto the ground. Mind you, they have to fight the goats for it. Goats love chat.

Another downside is that farmers (commonly Oromo people in the area around Harar) grow chat rather than food crops. Financially this makes sense as most crops can only be harvested once or twice a year, whereas a field of chat plants can be harvested every day. Farmers like having the constant source of income but from a big picture perspective is it wise to grow chat rather than food crops in an area that is prone to periodic drought?

And I’m sure the burning question on your lips is whether Christi and I chewed chat? Extrapolating from former US President Bill Clinton‘s experiences with marijuana: we may have put it in our mouths, but we did not chew it!