Speaking Through Food              Solomon Mezgebe The anthropology of food helps us see the connection between ethnographic and historical context with current social and cultural issues in food production and consumption systems, and the language of food helps open the key to connecting and relating with one’s heritage, as well as communicating with each other in one’s community and the larger contemporary global community. Food does not just nourish the body but, as a social event, nourishes the mind. Be it in small intimate circles (family) or larger social events; humans use food to communicate their feelings, emotions, intent, and other expressions. One can say food can be a language on its own; one can comfortably say about several communities across many regions of Tigray. In Tigray, people utilize the entire preparation and consumption of food to express how they relate and feel about each other, celebrate their culture, and recount and pass on tradition and history. The language of food in Tigraigna is used to express romance, patriotism, grieving, contemplation, faith, etc. With varying types and degrees, food is used to symbolize social fabrics such as endearment using honey and sweet አያ መዓረይ (Aya MeArei) አደ ወለላይ (Ade Welelai) towards one’s favorite uncle, aunt. To shower appreciation on the culinary and home keeping mastery of the lady of the house አይ ነጪ አየ መቡክዒቶ ብነፀላ ድያ ነፍያቶ (Aye Nechi Aye MebKuEito B` NeTsela diya Nefiyato); symbolizing milk and honey to express the perfect union between newlywed families አየ መውስቦ ወዶም ጓሎም መዓር አጅቦ (Aye Mewsebo Wedom Gualom MiEaR Ajibo); to express resilience and food security አቲ ሸዊት ስገም፡ ሓላፋይ እዩ ፀገም (Ati Shewit Sigem Halfay Eyu Tsegem); to scorn excess and indulgence ነገርያ ልደለየስ ብሕምባሻ ፀብሒ ደለየ (Negerya LiDeleyes BiHimBasha Tsebhi Deleye); to express charity, particularly during festivities ሃባና እምበይ ሃባና እምበይ ምሃብ ዶ ነውሪ እዩ (Habana Embey Habana Embey Mihab doe Newri eyu); employ in idiomatic language to complain a mistreatment ህንዲ ጣፍ ልፍልጠካ ህንዲ ጣፍ የፅርያካ (hindi Taff liFelTeka hindi Taff YeSteriyeka). Tigrigna speaks food, a comprehensive understanding of Tigray and its people requires understanding its food and its food language and needs to begin. It would be nice if the Tigrigna oral sayings were translated.