Welcome!

Since arriving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for my internship with the Canadian Urban Institute I have been flooded with questions and queries about life in the land that gets 13 months of sunshine. In this blog I will detail my experiences in Ethiopia by answering your questions, providing musing, ramblings and other miscellaneous information that comes to mind.

To have your question answered, please email me at chit.khatt@gmail.com and I will respond back with an answer as soon as possible.

Thanks for your help, I look forward to khatting with you...

Josh

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What is Khat?

Igor in Macedonia asked: "What is Khat anyway?"

Khat (pronounced chat) is a flowering plant that is native to tropical East Africa, it is Ethiopia's second largest agricultural export (behind coffee) and is illegal in most other parts of the world.
When the leaves of the young khat plant are chewed an amphetamine-like stimulant is released: putting the chewer to a state of excitement, euphoria and causing a loss of appetite. University students will routinely chew khat as a means of staying awake in preparation for exams and major assignments. 
Khat can become addictive and may lead to health problems after extensive use, frequent chewers may experience withdrawal and become tired after a few days without it.  
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownNovember 23, 2010 at 5:03 AM

    Khat sounds awesome! Booking flight to Ethiopia as we speak

    ReplyDelete

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