In the past few weeks, residents of the Valley might have caught a glimpse of a vibrant bicoloured food truck, present at the region鈥檚 numerous festivals and events.

Some who were close enough may have noticed customers walking away with a plateful of food, leaving behind a decadent scent trail of spices.

For all those curious about this food truck, it is the latest addition to the Valley鈥檚 vibrant culinary scene.

In operation since July, the Tameet food truck is charming the bellies of restaurant-goers with its authentic Ethiopian / Eritrean dishes.

Yet, before the region could put its hands on this East African cuisine lies a fascinating story strewn with challenges.

Adem Salim Idris, the founder of Tameet, was raised in Keren - Eritrea鈥檚 second-largest city. Growing up in the 90s, during a time riddled with border conflicts with neighbouring Ethiopia, Idris鈥檚 future was uncertain.

鈥淎fter (Eritrea) became independent, those who led the fight against Ethiopia became the rulers of the new country,鈥� explained Idris. 鈥淭hey wouldn鈥檛 give up power or have an election.鈥�

Shortly after their takeover, the authoritarian leadership of Isaias Afwerki enforced compulsory military conscription to both men and women in 1995.

Following this repressive decision, many young Eritreans left the country with the hope of having a better future.

Among them was Idris.

Leaving his family behind, the young man set on a long trek to Sudan - where he spent three years of his life.

In 2011, the refugee immigrated to Canada after being sponsored by his former English teachers who lived in Cranbrook, B.C. In the years following his arrival, Idris helped three of his siblings to join him.

Eventually, the newcomer enrolled at UBC in environmental engineering. It鈥檚 during his co-op program that Idris first came to the Valley. Here, he met his current partner and the place he would call home after graduating in 2018.

Prior to considering the concept of a food truck, Idris began preparing meals for himself, aiming to replicate the dishes he missed from his homeland.

鈥淚 learned how to cook basically out of necessity,鈥� smiled Idris. 鈥淲hen I lived in Vancouver or Calgary, these cities had lots of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants. I loved it and it was always nice to have. But when I moved to the Valley, there was none.鈥�

With no prior experience, the engineer started experimenting and learning about the rudiments of East African cuisine.

When asked to describe the food, Idris says that it mostly consists of two key elements: the injera - a tangy sourdough flatbread - and a wat - a curry-like stew with vegetables and/or meats.

Although he enjoyed trying different ways to emulate his homeland鈥檚 dishes, Idris highlighted that nailing down the recipe for the perfect Injera took him three years to master.

鈥淭hat was a nightmare,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was such a huge learning curve. It鈥檚 particularly complicated because it involves fermentation at just the right temperatures and it doesn鈥檛 like the cold climate.

鈥淚 basically had to call my mom often and ask her questions about how to do that. I had to improvise so I have a little incubator that I built an insulated box with a light on to keep the temperatures just right.鈥�

After cooking for his friends and receiving numerous positive feedback, he took the decision to go all-in and open his own food truck.

Idris bought a 1989 Ford truck and the project started taking shape. Assisted by his siblings Mahdi, Mubarak, and Mahasen, along with his partner Julianna and several friends, he dedicated five months to converting the vehicle into a mobile food vendor.

When not on the road, touring the region鈥檚 festivals, Tameet - meaning delicious in Bilen, Idris鈥檚 mother tongue - is located at Cumberland鈥檚 Community Urban Bazaar.

On its opening day, the family-run business served more than 200 people, and within the first few weeks of operation, they had already served more than 1,200.

Grateful and amazed by the public鈥檚 feedback, Idris is already tinkering with possible ways to develop his brand.

Yet, for now, Idris and his siblings wish to focus their attention on providing their client with a memorable experience while growing and learning from the feedback they receive.

鈥淚 grew up poor and food was not always readily available,鈥� recalled Idris. 鈥淢y parents were farmers with six kids and therefore I developed a very unique outlook on food growing up. For us, food is sacred. You have to give it all the respect. Having access to this abundance of food to feed ourselves and our customers is a huge deal for us.鈥�

To know more about Tameet, their hours of opening and their current location, visit their Instagram page at @tameetfoodtruck.