Ethiopian food is one of the world’s most unique, fascinating and delicious cuisines. In addition to its flavorful dishes, stews, and spices, Ethiopian cuisine also features a strong culture around how food is served and shared with friends and family. As a home to various culture and diverse nations, Ethiopia has a unique and original truths of culinary delights;” injera” and “wot” are the most prominent food items.
Injera is the heart of every meal in Ethiopia. The national dish of Ethiopia is locally known as “wot” usually a hot spicy stew which comes in many varieties. Together with the meal, here it is compiled some of typical food items and drinks widely consumed by Ethiopians from different sources. Injera (Ethiopian Bread) Ethiopian food without injera might be considered heresy by Ethiopians.
This spongy pancake-like flat bread usually made from fermented teff (a gluten-free grain indigenous to Ethiopia) is fundamental to every Ethiopian meal. Sauces and dishes are commonly poured on top of the injera which is then used as a vehicle to get the deliciousness from table to mouth. Doro Wot (Chicken Stew) This rich chicken stew is one of Ethiopia’s most favorite dishes.
It is said that when an Ethiopian girl wants to marry, she has to make doro wot for her fiancé’s family as a demonstration of her culinary proficiency and thus worthiness to be chosen as a wife. While this traditional cooking exam may still hold in rural areas, it is quickly dying out in Ethiopian cities. Doro wot takes forever to make, which is why it is often only served during holidays and on special occasions.
It involves slow cooking red onions, berbere and chicken parts for hours, until just the right consistency and blend of flavors has been achieved. Yetsom Beyaynetu (Vegetarian Mixed Platter) Also known as a fasting platter, is a mixed vegetarian plate that usually includes several types of lentil and split pea stews (e.g., misir wat, alecha kik or meisir kik) with kale (gomen) and a spicy tomato stew (sils). Shiro wot Shiro is a delicious chick pea powder-based dish (sometimes also including lentils and broad beans), slow-cooked with Ethiopia’s popular – and spicy -red berbere sauce.
There are several kinds of shiro to enjoy, from the soupy thin shirowot to the thick and glob-like (but still delectable) shiro tegabino. Maheberawi (Meat Mixed Plate) Ethiopian meat-based mixed plates usually combine several stews like key wat (beef stew), tibs (lamb, beef or goat cubes cooked with nitter kibeh and herbs like rosemary), and kitfo (raw ground beef). Kitfo Kitfo is a big treat for the ordinary Ethiopian. The leanest meat is reserved for this dish, which is then minced and warmed in a pan with a little butter, berbere (peper) and sometimes tosin (thyme).
It can be bland and disgusting, or tasty and divine. If you’re ravenous after a hard day’s travelling, it’s just the ticket, as it’s very filling. A tip? Ask for a heap of berbere on the side. Traditionally, it’s served just leb leb (warmed not cooked), though you can ask for it to be betam leb leb (literally ‘very warmed’, ie cooked!). A kitfo special is served with aib and gomen (minced spinach).
In the Gurage region (where it’s something of a speciality) it’s often served with enset (kocho; falsebanana ‘bread’). Kitfo beats (restaurants specialising in kitfo) are found in the larger towns. Fir-Fir (or Fit-Fit) Made of sliced pieces of injera turned in berbere sauce or leftover wat, fir-fir is a traditional and hearty (some may say heavy) way to start your day. Kolo (Roasted Barley) It’s often served mixed with peanuts and other seeds or nuts.
Hearty and healthy, it pairs nicely with a St. George beer at the end of a long day. Ethiopian Cultural Drinks Tej (honey wine) Tej is a honey wine (mead) that has been brewed in Ethiopia for centuries. Until medival periods Tej was allowed only in places. Ordinary people were not allowed to prepare Tej for domestic services. It is bittered with gesho leaves and twigs. Gesho is kind of like a hop and falls into the buckthorn family.
The gesho also gives it a unique direction of flavor. Tej is usually home brewed in Ethiopia. However, there are tej betoch (Tej houses) throughout the country. Traditionally, it is served in a berele container but a pint would be just fine. It is best served chilled and goes well with spicy food. This is one of the more delicious weird alcoholic drinks that can be brewed at home. Tella Tella is an Ethiopian home-brewed beer which differs from the others in some respects. First it is brewed with barley or wheat, hops, or spices.
Secondly, it has a smoky flavor due to the addition of bread darkened by baking and use of a fermentation vessel which has been smoked by inversion over smoldering wood. Tella is not processed under government regulations hence the alcohol content varies but is usually around 2% to 4%. Filtered tella has a higher alcohol content ranging from 5% to 6%. Araki Araki is essentially the Ethiopian version of grappa (firewater or moonshine, if you like). If the name sounds like Greek raki or Balkan rakia, that’s because it’s likely descended from or related to the Mediterranean distilled spirits of a similar name.
It’s made from gesho leaves and features an alcohol level of around 45%. No wonder it is good for an upset stomach. It likely kills anything in its path, bacteria included. Ethiopian Coffee Coffee in Ethiopia, the land where it was first discovered, is a treat not only because the quality of the coffee is very high, but also because its preparation is careful and elaborate.
Regardless of whether you take your coffee in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony or from an Italian espresso machine (a legacy of the short Italian occupation of Ethiopia during World War II), you are likely to be pleasantly surprised.
The Ethiopian Herald January 31 /2019
COMPILED BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
