[1] It is often home processed and consists of three main ingredients; honey, water and a medicinal shrub called "gesho" (Rhamnus prinoides).

[2] Consequently, tej forms an important part of Ethiopian society and culture and is considered the national drink of Ethiopia.

[6] Tej has an extensive history in Ethiopian society and is thought to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages ever produced.

Honey, the key ingredient in the production of tej, was received as a tax and land rent from the other working classes during that time period.

He detailed the fact that they were encouraged to continuously drink copious amounts of the honey wine during the celebration.

[14] The specific flavour of the wine largely depends on which area in which the bees have collected nectar to produce the honey and especially the climate there.

The stems and leaves of Rhamnus prinoides are then chopped and boiled in either water or a small portion of the grand mixture.

It is then left to ferment for a period of time that can generally range from a few days to months; however, the mixture needs to be stirred daily.

[2] After the mixture has fermented for the desired period of time, it needs to be filtered through a cloth before consumption in order to remove the Rhamnus prinoides and any sediment.

These can include smoking the fermentation pot in order to achieve a smoky flavour, adding various spices such as ginger or tamarind, other plants such as khat (Catha edulis),[17] and using crude honey as opposed to refined due to the belief it creates a better mead.

The lactic acid bacteria present during the making of tej are known to generate an array of chemical compounds during the fermentation process.

As a result of this and the drink's long history, it is used during a number of different important religious and social events.

Some of these special religious occasions include Christmas, New Year (Enkutatash), Epiphany (Timkat), Easter (Fasika), and the discovery of the True Cross (Meskel).

Ethiopia produces the largest amount of honey in Africa, creating approximately 45,300 tonnes (49,900 short tons) annually.

High methanol concentration in tej was another factor identified as a potential hazard to human health.

These yeasts largely come from the Saccharomyces genus; which are commonly the catalysts of the reaction when converting sugars into ethanol.

The yeasts specifically belonging to the Kluyveromyces and Saccharomyces species have also been reported to be important in the fermentation of various other wines.

[14] The honey which was used to create tej in the past, and still today, was generally collected from wild nests or produced in ‘traditional barrel-type hives’.

As a result of this gathering method, the honey also contained wax, pollen, bees and broken combs.

The remaining wax floating on the surface of the mixture can make the fermentation process more anaerobic (less oxygenated) and the pollen functions as a yeast nutrient.