In Ethiopia, fertile soil, fragrant spices, and spongy bread all come together to create a cuisine that is unlike any other on the planet.
The country’s nutrient rich earth has given way to leafy greens and fresh vegetables upon which the nation builds its culinary foundation. Something green and locally gown lies at the core of every dish, from ye’abesha gomen to atkilt wot. Because East Africa is one of the most fertile places on Earth, its inhabitants have always largely subsisted on healthy veggies tossed in oil and cooked over an open flame. Another byproduct of its fertileness is the coffee bean. A source of pride for many native Ethiopians, coffee is more than just a morning beverage. In Ethiopia, coffee is a ritualistic ceremony that involves fresh roasted beans, burned incense, and coffee branches wafted through the air.
If you ever go to Ethiopia, right as you step off the plane, you’ll smell the nation’s signature spice blend: berbere. The mixture includes familiar spices like chili, garlic, and ginger, but also less familiar ones like korarima, rue, and fenugreek. This signature blend is fused with the majority of dishes in Ethiopia. Niter oil, another staple of Ethiopian cooking, is a purified butter infused with some of the same ingredients, and will surely clear sinuses of Westerners every single time. The last staple, injera, serves both as utensil and sustenance. The fermentation process is (days) long, and the result is a thin, sourdough bread that soaks up ingredients and melts in your mouth. Over a meal, injera is served on the side, pinched off, and slapped on every dish, only to have the consumer pinch again, this time with food inside. It is a sign of deep respect for someone to feed you using injera, and with delicious, authentic food like this, that’s understandable.
