Ethiopian cuisine

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Ethiopian cuisine (Oromo: Nyaata

Etiyoophiyaa; Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ምግብ)
characteristically consists of vegetable
and often very spicy meat dishes. This is
usually in the form of wat, a thick stew,
served atop injera, a large sourdough
flatbread,[1] which is about 50 centimeters
(20 inches) in diameter and made out of
fermented teff flour.[1] Ethiopians eat most
of the time with their right hands, using
pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées
and side dishes.[1]

This meal consisting of injera and several kinds of wat

(stew) is typical of Ethiopian cuisine.
Location of Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

prescribes a number of fasting periods
(tsom, Ge'ez: ጾም ṣōm), including all
Wednesdays and Fridays and the whole
Lenten season (including fifteen days
outside Lent proper). Per Oriental
Orthodox tradition, the faithful may not
consume any kind of animal products
(including dairy products and eggs) during
fasts; Ethiopian cuisine therefore contains
many dishes that are vegan.[2]
Overview

Ethiopian kita herb bread

A typical dish consists of injera

accompanied by a spicy stew, which
frequently includes beef, lamb, vegetables
and various types of legumes, such as
lentils. The cuisines of the Southern
Nations, Nationalities and People's Region
and the Sidama people also make use of
the false banana plant (enset, Ge'ez: እንሰት
ïnset), a type of ensete. The plant is
pulverized and fermented to make various
foods, including a bread-like food called
qocho or kocho (Ge'ez: ቆጮ ḳōč̣ō), which is
eaten with kitfo.[3] The root of this plant
may be powdered and prepared as a hot
drink called bulla (Ge'ez: ቡላ būlā), which is
often given to those who are tired or ill.
Another typical Gurage preparation is
coffee with butter (kebbeh). Kita herb
bread is also baked.

Due in part to the brief Italian occupation,

pasta is popular and frequently available
throughout Ethiopia, including rural
areas.[1] Coffee is also a large part of
Ethiopian culture and cuisine. After every
meal, a coffee ceremony is enacted and
coffee is served.

Restrictions of certain meats

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, Ethiopian
Jews and Ethiopian Muslims avoid eating
pork or shellfish, for religious reasons.
Pork is considered unclean in Ethiopian
Orthodox Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Many Ethiopians abstain from eating
certain meats, and mostly eat vegetarian
and vegan foods.

Traditional ingredients
Ajwain or radhuni, korarima, nigella and fenugreek
(clockwise, from top) are used with chilis and salt to
make berbere, a basic ingredient in many Ethiopian
dishes.

Berbere, a combination of powdered chili

pepper and other spices (somewhat
analogous to Southwestern American chili
powder), is an important ingredient used in
many dishes. Also essential is niter kibbeh,
a clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic,
and several spices.[4][5]
Mitmita (Amharic: ሚጥሚጣ,
IPA: [mitʼmitʼa]) is a powdered seasoning
mix used in Ethiopian cuisine. It is orange-
red in color and contains ground birdseye
chili peppers (piri piri), cardamom seed,
cloves and salt.[6] It occasionally has other
spices including cinnamon, cumin and
ginger.

In their adherence to strict fasting,

Ethiopian cooks have developed a rich
array of cooking oil sources—besides
sesame and safflower—for use as a
substitute for animal fats which are
forbidden during fasting periods. Ethiopian
cuisine also uses nug (also spelled noog,
also known as "niger seed").[2]

Dishes

Doro wat, consisting of curried chicken and boiled

eggs, is one of the most popular dishes for breaking
religious fasts in Ethiopia.

Wat …
A typical serving of wat

Wat begins with a large amount of

chopped red onion, which is simmered or
sauteed in a pot. Once the onions have
softened, niter kebbeh (or, in the case of
vegan dishes, vegetable oil) is added.
Following this, berbere is added to make a
spicy keiy wat or keyyih tsebhi. Turmeric is
used instead of berbere for a milder alicha
wat or both spices are omitted when
making vegetable stews, such as atkilt
wat. Meat such as beef (ሥጋ,[7] səga),
chicken (ዶሮ,[8] doro or derho), fish (ዓሣ,[9]
asa), goat or lamb (በግ,[10] beg or beggi) is
also added. Legumes such as split peas
(ክክ,[11] kək or kikki) and lentils (ምስር,[12]
məsər or birsin); or vegetables such as
potatoes (ድንች,[13] Dənəch), carrots and
chard (ቆስጣ) are also used instead in
vegan dishes.

Each variation is named by appending the

main ingredient to the type of wat (e.g. kek
alicha wat). However, the word keiy is
usually not necessary, as the spicy variety
is assumed when it is omitted (e.g. doro
wat). The term atkilt wat is sometimes
used to refer to all vegetable dishes, but a
more specific name can also be used (as
in dinich'na caroht wat, which translates to
"potatoes and carrots stew"; but the word
"atkilt" is usually omitted when using the
more specific term).

Tibs …

Meat along with vegetables are sautéed to

make tibs (also tebs, t'ibs, tibbs, etc., Ge'ez:
ጥብስ ṭïbs). Tibs is served in a variety of
manners, and can range from hot to mild
or contain little to no vegetables. There are
many variations of the delicacy, depending
on type, size or shape of the cuts of meat
used. Beef, mutton, and goat are the most
common meats used in the preparation of
tibs.

The mid-18th century European visitor to

Ethiopia Remedius Prutky describes tibs
as a portion of grilled meat served "to pay
a particular compliment or show especial
respect to someone."[14] It may still be
seen this way; today the dish is prepared
to commemorate special events and
holidays.

Kinche (Qinch'e) …

Kinche (Qinch’e), a porridge, is a very

common Ethiopian breakfast or supper. It
is incredibly simple, inexpensive, and
nutritious. It is made from cracked wheat,
Ethiopian oats, barley or a mixture of
those. It can be boiled in either milk or
water with a little salt . The flavor of the
Kinche comes from the nit'ir qibe, which is
a spiced butter.[15]

Oromo dishes …

A tibs (waadii) dish at a restaurant in Yod Abyssinia,

Addis Ababa
Waadii – also known as tibs; specially
seasoned
Anchotte – a common dish in the
western part of Oromia (Wallaga)
Baduu – also known as aybe
Marqaa – also known as genfo
Chechebsa – also known as kita
Qoocco – although also known as
kocho, it is not the Gurage type of kocho
but a different kind; a common dish in
the western part of Oromia (Wallaga)
Itto – also known as wat; comprises all
sorts of wat, including vegetables and
meat
 Chuuco – also known as besso; a sweet
flavor of whole grain, seasoned with
butter and spices
Chororsaa – a common dish in western
part of Oromia (Wallaga)

Gurage dishes …

Kitfo …

Kitfo served rare

Another distinctively Ethiopian dish is kitfo
(frequently spelled ketfo). It consists of
raw (or rare) beef mince marinated in
mitmita (Ge'ez: ሚጥሚጣ mīṭmīṭā a very
spicy chili powder similar to the berbere)
and niter kibbeh. Gored gored is very
similar to kitfo, but uses cubed rather than
ground beef.

Ayibe …

Ayibe is a cottage cheese that is mild and

crumbly. It is much closer in texture to
crumbled feta. Although not quite pressed,
the whey has been drained and squeezed
out. It is often served as a side dish to
soften the effect of very spicy food. It has
little to no distinct taste of its own.
However, when served separately, ayibe is
often mixed with a variety of mild or hot
spices typical of Gurage cuisine.

Gomen kitfo …

Gomen kitfo is another typical Gurage dish.

Collard greens (ጎመን gōmen) are boiled,
dried and then finely chopped and served
with butter, chili and spices. It is a dish
specially prepared for the occasion of
Meskel, a very popular holiday marking the
discovery of the True Cross. It is served
along with ayibe or sometimes even kitfo
in this tradition called dengesa.

Sidama dishes …

Wassa …

The enset plant (called wesse in the

Sidamo language) is central to Sidama
cuisine and after grinding and fermenting
the root to produce wassa, it is used in the
preparation of several foods.

Amulcho is an enset flatbread used

similarly to injera to eat wats made from
beef, mushrooms, beans, gomen, and
pumpkin.
Borasaame is a cooked mixture of wassa
and butter sometimes eaten with
Ethiopian mustard greens. It is traditionally
eaten by hand using a false banana leaf
and is served in a 'shafeta, a vase-like
ceramic vessel. A common variant of
borasaame uses maize flour instead of
wassa and is called badela borasaame.
Borasaame is typically paired with a
seasoned yogurt drink called wätät. Both
are common foods for funerals and the
celebration of Fichee Chambalaalla, the
Sidama new year.

Gomen ba siga …
Gomen ba siga (ጎመን በስጋ, Amharic:
"cabbage with meat") is a stewed mixture
of beef and Ethiopian mustard served
under a layer of amulcho.

Maize …

A commonly grown crop in Sidama, maize

(badela in Sidaamu; also known as "corn"
in North America) is often eaten as a
snack with coffee. It can be ground into
flour to make bread, roasted on the cob, or
the kernels can be picked off to make
bokolo, which is served either boiled or
roasted.
Breakfast …

Fit-fit, or chechebsa, made with kitcha (unleavened

bread), niter kibbeh (seasoned clarified butter) and
berbere (spice), is a typical breakfast food.

Fit-fit or fir-fir is a common breakfast dish.

It is made from shredded injera or kitcha
stir-fried with spices or wat. Another
popular breakfast food is fatira. The
delicacy consists of a large fried pancake
made with flour, often with a layer of egg.
It is eaten with honey. Chechebsa (or kita
firfir) resembles a pancake covered with
berbere and niter kibbeh, or other spices,
and may be eaten with a spoon. Genfo is a
kind of porridge, which is another common
breakfast dish. It is usually served in a
large bowl with a dug-out made in the
middle of the genfo and filled with spiced
niter kibbeh. A variation of ful, a fava bean
stew with condiments, served with baked
rolls instead of injera, is also common for
breakfast.

Snacks
Typical Ethiopian snacks are Dabo Kolo
(small pieces of baked bread that are
similar to pretzels) or kolo (roasted barley
sometimes mixed with other local grains).
Kolo made from roasted and spiced barley,
safflower kernels, chickpeas and/or
peanuts are often sold by kiosks and
street vendors, wrapped in a paper cone.
Snacking on popcorn is also common.[1]

Gursha
A gursha (var. gorsha, goorsha) is an act of
friendship and love. When eating injera, a
person uses his or her right hand to strip
off a piece, wraps it around some wat or
kitfo, and then puts it into his or her mouth.
During a meal with friends or family, it is a
common custom to feed others in the
group with one's hand by putting the rolled
injera or a spoon full of other dishes into
another's mouth.[16] This is called a gursha,
and the larger the gursha, the stronger the
friendship or bond (only surpassed by the
brewing of Tej together). This tradition
was featured in "The Food Wife," an
episode of The Simpsons that uses
Ethiopian cuisine as a plot point.[17]

Beverages

Traditional alcoholic beverages …

There are many different traditional
alcoholic drinks which are home made and
of natural ingredients.

Tella …

Tella is a home-brewed beer served in tella

bet ("tella houses") which specialize in
serving only tella. Tella is the most
common beverage made and served in
households during holidays.

It is an alcoholic drink which is prepared

from bikil (barley) as main ingredient and
gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) for
fermentation purpose.
In Oromiffaa the drink is called farso and
in Tigrinya siwa.

Tej (honey wine) …

Tej is a potent honey wine.[1] It is similar to

mead, and is frequently served in bars,
particularly in a tej bet or "tej house".

It is prepared from honey and gesho. It has

a sweet taste and the alcoholic content is
relatively higher than tella. This drink can
be stored for a long time; the longer it is
stored, the higher the alcohol content, and
the stronger the taste.

Areki (katikala) …
Areki, also known as katikala, is probably
the strongest alcoholic drink of
Ethiopia.[18]

Non-alcoholic beverages …

Ethiopians have diverse traditional non-

alcoholic drinks which include natural and
healthy ingredients.

Kenetto (keribo) …

Kenetto, also known as keribo, is a non-

alcoholic traditional drink. It is mostly used
as substitute for tella for those who don't
drink alcohol.[19]
Borde …

Borde is a cereal-based traditional

fermented beverage famous in southern
Ethiopia.[18]

Manufactured drinks …

Just like the rest of the world Ethiopians

also enjoy several locally manufactured
beers, wine and non-alcoholic products
like Coca-Cola and other similar products.
A Coca-Cola bottle in Ethiopia, with the distinct logo in
the Ethiopic script

Ambo Mineral Water or Ambo wuha is a

bottled carbonated mineral water, sourced
from the springs in Ambo Senkele near the
town of Ambo.[1][20]

Non-alcoholic brews (hot drinks) …

Atmet …
Atmet is a barley and oat-flour based drink
that is cooked with water, sugar and kibe
(Ethiopian clarified butter) until the
ingredients have combined to create a
consistency slightly thicker than egg-nog.
Though this drink is often given to women
who are nursing, the sweetness and
smooth texture make it a comfort drink for
anyone who enjoys its flavor.

Coffee …
An Ethiopian woman roasting coffee at a traditional
coffee ceremony

According to some sources, drinking of

coffee (buna) is likely to have originated in
Ethiopia.[1] A key national beverage, it is an
important part of local commerce.[21]

The coffee ceremony is the traditional

serving of coffee, usually after a big meal.
It often involves the use of a jebena (ጀበና),
a clay coffee pot in which the coffee is
boiled. The preparer roasts the coffee
beans in front of guests, then walks
around wafting the smoke throughout the
room so participants may sample the
scent of coffee. Then the preparer grinds
the coffee beans in a traditional tool called
a mokecha. The coffee is put into the
jebena, boiled with water, and then served
in small cups called si'ni. Coffee is usually
served with sugar, but is also served with
salt in many parts of Ethiopia. In some
parts of the country, niter kibbeh is added
instead of sugar or salt.
Snacks, such as popcorn or toasted barley
(or kolo), are often served with the coffee.
In most homes, a dedicated coffee area is
surrounded by fresh grass, with special
furniture for the coffee maker. A complete
ceremony has three rounds of coffee
(abol, tona and bereka) and is
accompanied by the burning of
frankincense.

Tea (chai) …

Tea will most likely be served if coffee is

declined.

See also
 List of African cuisines
Ethiopian Jewish cuisine

References
1. Javins, Marie. "Eating and Drinking in
Ethiopia." Archived 31 January 2013
at the Wayback Machine
Gonomad.com . Accessed July 2011.
2. Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time: A
history of Ethiopia (New York:
Palgrave, 2000), p. 12 and note
3. "Uses of Enset" . The 'Tree Against
Hunger': Enset-Based Agricultural
Systems in Ethiopia. American
Association for the Advancement of
 Science. 1997. Archived from the
original on 19 August 2007. Retrieved
13 August 2007.
4. Debrawork Abate (1995 (EC)) [1993
(EC)]. የባህላዌ መግቦች አዘገጃጀት
[Traditional Food Preparation] (in
Amharic) (2nd ed.). Addis Ababa:
Mega Asatame Derjet (Mega Publisher
Enterprise). pp. 22–23. Check date
values in: |date= (help)
5. Gall, Alevtina; Zerihun Shenkute (3
November 2009). "Ethiopian
Traditional and Herbal Medications
and their Interactions with
Conventional Drugs" . EthnoMed.
 University of Washington. Retrieved
27 January 2011.
. Mesfin, D.J. Exotic Ethiopian Cooking
(2006): 20. Falls Church, VA: Ethiopian
Cookbooks Enterprises
7. Selam Soft, "ሥጋ" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
. Selam Soft, "ዶሮ" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
9. Selam Soft, "ዓሣ" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
10. Selam Soft, "'በግ , Amharic-English
Dictionary', 4/30/13
11. Selam Soft, "ክክ" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
12. Selam Soft, "ምስር" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
13. Selam Soft, "ድንች" , Amharic-English
Dictionary, 4/30/13
14. J.H. Arrowsmith-Brown (trans.),
Prutky's Travels in Ethiopia and other
Countries with notes by Richard
Pankhurst (London: Hakluyt Society,
1991), p. 286
15. slow food foundation for biodiversity
1 . Selinus, Ruth (1 January 1971). "The
Traditional Foods of the Central
Ethiopian Highlands (research report
no. 7)" . EthnoMed. Retrieved
1 November 2009.
17. "The Simpsons Episode Well-Received
by Ethiopians on Social Media" .
Tadias Magazine. Retrieved 3 January
2013.
1 . Tafere, G. (2015). "A review on
Traditional Fermented Beverages of
Ethiopian" . undefined. Retrieved
25 October 2020.
19. Dibaba, Kumela; Tilahun, Lelise;
Satheesh, Neela; Geremu, Melkayo (1
April 2018). "Acrylamide occurrence in
Keribo: Ethiopian traditional fermented
beverage" . Food Control. 86: 77–82.
doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2017.11.016 .
ISSN 0956-7135 .
20. "About us" . Ambo Mineral Water.
Archived from the original on 4
November 2012. Retrieved 4 January
2013.
21. "Ethiopia" . The World Factbook.
Central Intelligence Agency. 12
January 2011. Retrieved 31 January
2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Cuisine of Ethiopia.

Mesob Across America: Ethiopian Food

in the U.S.A. A book about the history
and culture of Ethiopian cuisine
 Ethiopian Restaurant Guide A guide to
Ethiopian restaurants in the USA.
Includes video visits to some
restaurants
All About Tej An extensive website
about the Ethiopian honey wine
Raw Meat, a Manly Ethiopian Dish The
Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2011
Ethiopian Spices by Fassica - Authentic
Ethiopian Food and Spices

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