Mystery of the Mogogo Cab: SOLVED

I bring to you, Mogogo Cab. For many moons I wondered about the meaning of Mogogo. You have to admit, it’s a pretty mysterious, weird name. If I had to guess I’d say someone got high, mispronounced “Mo-Fo” as Mogogo, and an opportunistic cab driver to be named his vehicle Mogogo so his friend never forgets that one night he was so wasted he couldn’t even swear.

UnFortunately the Internet exists to sap the mystery out of anything remotely interesting by supplying actual information. Alas, sometimes I prefer conjecture. Anyway, a minute on Google reveals that Mogogo is Eritrean in origin. A Mogogo is a type of stove (picture here) used to bake Injera, a traditional Eritrean bread.

Apparently, baking Injera consumes 40% of Eritrea’s energy resources.  As such, building a more efficient Mogogo “can potentially have dramatic positive impacts on the Eritrean standard of living.”  Improving the efficiency of baking Injera is so important that the Eritrean Energy Research and Training Division of the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Water Resources (really) apparently invented and rigorously tested a “finite element heat balance model for an electric” Mogogo.  Awesome. Abstract of their lengthy report is below:

The greatest energy savings is attained by using enjera batter with a low water content (a savings method in widespread use in the Eritrean Highlands) and a cooking style that produces moist, thick to medium thick enjera. Major improvements in efficiency are also predicted if cooking plate thermal conductivity is improved. Modeling predicts that most of the efficiency improvements can be obtained by simply using modified clays of higher conductivity, rather than changing to metal cooking plates. The modeling in combination with the experimental results aid in formulating a series of actions to aid in the promotion and development of improved enjera cooking efficiency.

Mogogo is also the name of at least two restaurants, one in Copenhagen and another in Holland.

I’m looking forward to riding in the Mogogo cab. I want to ask the cab driver whether he uses a traditional wood or dung fired Mogogo or broke down (stepped up?) and purchased an electric Mogogo. I’d like to inquire whether the Mogogo is a well known Eritrean symbol. Most of all, I’d like him to laugh at me, ask what the hell I’m talking about, and tell me that his buddy couldn’t say “Mo-Fo” one night at a bar, it came out as “Mogogo,” and that’s why he named his cab Mogogo. Because it’s funny, not serious.

Cabs, Culture, Humor