Ethiopian Food To Try

While African cuisine varies by region and religion tremendously, there really are only two countries that have truly notable and different menus than that of their neighbors and continental culinary compatriots: Morocco and Ethiopia.

Ethiopian food is a true gem in the African food lexicon owing to its historical trading with different regions and storied history on the east coast of Africa. While Ethiopian food is often meat rich, the country’s largely Orthodox Christian population takes fasting quite seriously and consequently provides eaters with a number of vegetarian options.

Whatever your meal holds in store for you, you can count on the fact you won’t be using silverware unless you ask for it with the understanding you’ll be scoffed at, if not truly perplex your waiter. Rather, expect that your meal will be served on a plate lined with injera with additional injera rolled up like a napkin for you to pinch and eat all that’s on offer.

Injera Bread © Rod Wassington | Flickr

Injera is made from tef flour and is a spongy tortilla in appearance, which has a distinct sourdough taste to it. This gluten-free utensil and serving platter soaks up the flavors of all the Ethiopian dishes it comes in contact with and makes an excellent complement to the base of many Ethiopian dishes … berbere.

Berbere is a spice mix with chili and up to 20 spices like coriander, ginger, garlic, cumin and fenugreek, from which many meat and vegetarian dishes are based. Ethiopian-born celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson once described berbere as, “both masculine and feminine, shouting for attention and whispering at me to come closer. In one sniff it was bright and crisp; in the next, earthy and slow.”

Berbere Sauce © SarahTz | Flickr

Berbere features in numerous iconic Ethiopian dishes including wats. Wats are essentially stews, but vary greatly based on choice of meat with doro wat perhaps being the best known of the lot. It’s a lovely chicken stew option.

Kitfo and gored gored are two versions of, for lack of a better comparison, steak tartare. Using berbere, each preparation offers raw beef eaters a spicy kick up the backside and an unforgettable dining experience.

While there are hundreds of options, you’ll never do an Ethiopian meal a disservice with the inclusion of these famed dishes developed over hundreds of years, nor will you go hungry with the staple that is the superfood injera.