Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in the north-eastern part of Africa known for its unique and distinctive cultures. In the world, every culture has its own characteristic cuisine, including Ethiopia. Ethiopian cuisine is very flavourful and has a blend of many spices. The backbone or the base of Ethiopian food is the “injera” or sourdough flatbread.
Injera is not a dish by itself but an accompaniment that is used to scoop up collard greens to lentils to meat ( a bit like roti or naan in Indian cuisine). Meals in Ethiopia are usually eaten by hand. Injera is a highly nutritious dish rich in protein, calcium, iron and is naturally gluten-free. It is called a superfood as it is made from “teff”, the world’s smallest grain that was first cultivated in Ethiopia.
“Berbere” (not the disease beriberi) is a chilly pepper and also Ethiopia's prominent spice blend comprising a minimum of 12 ingredients to a maximum of 25 ingredients. A popular vegetarian delicacy of Ethiopia is “Beyainatu” which translates to “a bit of every type”. It is served along with injera and comprises a pile of colourful vegetables and potatoes.
A blessing for all the tartare fans is Kitfo or Ethiopian beef tartare. Kitfo is ground beef that has been mixed with “Kibbe” or spiced clarified butter and is accompanied by “Mitmita”, another popular Ethiopian spice blend. Kitfo can be served in two ways either “Leb Leb” which means warmed but not cooked or “Belam Leb Leb” which is cooked. Aib (similar to dry cottage cheese) and Gomen (minced spinach) are accompaniments with Kitfo. A must after this delicious Ethiopian meal is coffee.
Ethiopia is believed to be the birthplace of coffee. The best way to enjoy Ethiopian coffee is at a coffee ceremony in which one may be presented a small cup of espresso that has been brewed over a charcoal brazier in a clay urn.
Thus, the traditional Ethiopian meal ends after the person experiences all the flavours of this unique land. Ethiopian cuisine is a blessing to a person's food palate and we should indulge in trying new cuisines to expand our food palate.
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