Introduction to Ethiopian Food

July 25, 2011 By Mark Wiens

In my opinion, Ethiopia is one of the top contenders for the best food in the world.

Not only are the stews and sauces powerfully rich and delicious, the style of communal eating and sharing really encourages a strong culinary bond.

After you've read this brief introduction to Ethiopian food, you'll know everything needed to appreciate and enjoy this exotic African cuisine.

Table of Contents

Injera

The foundation of Ethiopian food is injera, the staple and main filler. It's originally made from the little-known grain of teff, that comes from a grass that is exclusively grown in the Ethiopian highlands, and parts of Northern Africa.

Teff flour is mixed into a batter, fermented for a few days and then cooked in the shape of a massive pancake. It has a spongy texture and a slightly sour taste, reminiscent of a sourdough bread. The flatbread is then rolled into pieces and eaten with various curries and vegetables.

Serving Ethiopian Food

Ethiopian meals are commonly served off a communal platter. The normal procedure is to lay out an entire circular round of injera on a metal plate and then scoop the colorful array of dishes on top of the initial blanket of injera.

Everyone then hovers around the plate with their individual roll of injera, breaking off bite size pieces and dipping them into the scrumptious sauces and stews.

When the food off the top is finished, it's fair game to start eating the base (that first piece of injera) that has sopped up all the luscious flavor.

Berbere

Berbere is the Ethiopian version of curry paste. It's made from a combination of fragrant ingredients that usually includes onions, garlic, ginger, chili, salt, paprika, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, pepper and sometimes fenugreek. The result is a thick paste that forms the underlying base of flavor for many Ethiopian dishes.

A few of my favorite Ethiopian dishes:

Shiro Wat: Chick peas are mashed into a paste and mixed with a heavy dose of berbere sauce and Ethiopian clarified butter to form a paste that's just packed with flavor.
Key Wat: Cubes of tender beef are marinated and made into a thick stew with a lovely spice to it. A bit of key wat with a handful of injera is an ultimate bite to cherish.
Kitfo: Ethiopia's version of steak tartare is a combination of raw beef, seasoning spices, and a splash of Ethiopian butter. The thinly sliced meat just melts in your mouth.
Derek Tibs: I think every country in the world has a version of roasted meat. Ethiopia's is charbroiled with peppers, onions, and oil to make it sizzle on the edges.
Gomen: This vegetable dish is made from collard greens and onions that are simmered until soft, mixed with a few mild spices, and served alongside the more flavorful stews.

Honey Wine – Tej

It has a sweet bite, and the times I've had it, it reminds me of some kind of fruity cocktail, but much better. A homemade bottle of Tej goes incredibly well with an Ethiopian meal.

Ethiopian Coffee

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia takes their brew seriously. You won't be drinking that weak instant stuff. They roast the beans black, brew in a small clay pot, and serve the coffee thick and chocolatey.

If you have the chance, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony is a great experience. In the middle of roasting the coffee beans, the server will bring the pan around to allow you to take a sniff. After the coffee beans are finished roasting and the coffee is brewed, the server will pour it into small cups on your table. As you sip on your wonderful Ethiopian coffee, your nose will be graced by the aromatic scent of burning frankincense that often accompanies a coffee ceremony.

Of course, the country of Ethiopia is the best place to eat Ethiopian food, but restaurants are starting to sprout up around the world. I know in the United Sates the cuisine is available in every major city.

WThe next time you see an Ethiopian restaurant, go check it out and let me know what you think!

About Mark Wiens

Mark was raised in central Africa before migrating back to the US for University. After graduating, he decided to continue traveling the world. On Migrationology, he shares the cultural side of travel from a slow paced local perspective that often revolves around his love for eating all forms of food. Join him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @migrationology, and add him on Google Plus.

Comments

Janet Newenham says
July 25, 2011 at 3:26 pm

Oh man oh man. I totally disagree..I spent 6 weeks travelling Ethiopia a few years ago. When you are stuck up in the Bale mountains and feeling altitude sickness and all there is to eat is Injera bread with all the sauces and curries I thought I was going to die. It tastes SO SO Awful! I did not appreciate Ethiopian food. It kept making me sick the having to keep eating it made me resent it altogether!
That said they DEFFO win with their coffee. The smell of freshly roasted beans when walking around the streets of Harar was MAGICAL! :) Noce post, thanks for sharing.
- Mark Wiens says
  July 26, 2011 at 12:31 am
  
  Sorry to hear about the bad experience with Ethiopian food Janet – I guess the altitude sickness mixed with all the berbere sauce and other spices might not be too good on the stomach. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the coffee though!
Audrey says
July 25, 2011 at 4:16 pm

I’ve only had Ethiopian food in Toronto and DC, but both experiences were delicious, fun and unique. One of the reasons Ethiopia is high on our list for our Africa travels is because of the food – can’t wait to taste more of it. Thanks for a great introduction here!
- Dave says
  July 25, 2011 at 6:00 pm
  
  Same here Audrey. My Ethiopian meals have all been at a restaurant in Adams Morgan, Washington DC — the name escapes me right now. I enjoyed them both.
  
  And then there was the time en route to Rwanda where I had an unintended layover in Ethiopia, but whatever meat and rice they served up at the hotel I had to stay at was not so memorable. It’s a country high on my list too.
- Dave says
  July 25, 2011 at 6:00 pm
  
  Same here Audrey. My Ethiopian meals have all been at a restaurant in Adams Morgan, Washington DC — the name escapes me right now. I enjoyed them both.
  
  And then there was the time en route to Rwanda where I had an unintended layover in Ethiopia, but whatever meat and rice they served up at the hotel I had to stay at was not so memorable. It’s a country high on my list too.
Tom Stockwell says
July 25, 2011 at 4:53 pm

This looks amazing – Ethiopia (along with Tanzania) is the #1 place I want to go to in Africa. The photographs of the food may well have bumped lil’ Zanzibar off the list. Foodporn indeed!
- Mark Wiens says
  July 26, 2011 at 12:21 am
  
  Awesome Tom! Along the coast of Tanzania there is some pretty good food too – I especially like Zanzibari pilau and biryani.
Anonymous says
July 25, 2011 at 10:51 pm

Have only tried it abroad–found a great place in Stockholm and another in Sydney–but have absolutely loved it both times! Now I just need to try it IN Ethiopia–great overview!
- Mark Wiens says
  July 26, 2011 at 12:23 am
  
  Thanks Camorose and glad that you also enjoy Ethiopian food!
Dtokeefe says
July 25, 2011 at 11:53 pm

I lived in Addis Ababa for 3 years. Doro Fer Fer is my favorite. It’s kind of a spicy chicken stew. Brilliant.
- Mark Wiens says
  July 26, 2011 at 12:22 am
  
  Great Dtokeefe – thanks for sharing!
David Perkins says
July 26, 2011 at 7:50 am

I’m headed to Ethiopia in just a few weeks and getting more excited as it gets closer. After reading this post I have one more reason to be excited. Thanks for sharing.
- Mark Wiens says
  July 27, 2011 at 5:09 am
  
  Awesome David! I know you’ll get to eat some delicious dishes!
- Mark Wiens says
  July 27, 2011 at 5:09 am
  
  Awesome David! I know you’ll get to eat some delicious dishes!
Mia says
July 26, 2011 at 8:46 am

That’s a nice insight in the Ethiopian culture. I’m not a heavy coffee drinker but the best coffee i drank so far was the Turkish one, but i would love to try the Ethiopian as well.
- Mark Wiens says
  July 27, 2011 at 5:10 am
  
  Cool Mia. Even if you don’t like the coffee too much, the whole experience and culture that goes along with and Ethiopian coffee ceremony is pretty interesting.
Jessica says
July 27, 2011 at 8:27 pm

I have to half-way agree.. The first time I had Ethiopian food was in Amsterdamn, and it was one of the best things I ever had- they served it with banana beer in a hand-carved wooden bowl, it was awesome! So then naturally, I attempted to recreate it by bringing my friends to try it as a few places in US cities… not the same. In fact, I have a couple friends who still talk about the time “i made them try that weird mush with the spongy bread” So I agree, when it is done right, it is fantastic. Otherwise, don’t bring along your discerning friends.
- Dave says
  July 28, 2011 at 4:26 pm
  
  Haha, good point Jessica. I lucked out with a good first experience in DC.
- Dave says
  July 28, 2011 at 4:26 pm
  
  Haha, good point Jessica. I lucked out with a good first experience in DC.
Henry Williams says
August 3, 2011 at 3:16 pm

Wow I didnt know that ethiopian food was so bad as janet is explaining it
Kevin Post says
August 6, 2011 at 9:54 pm

It looks amazing! I
have heard nothing but great things about Ethiopian
food and it doesn’t look like anything I’ve tried before. It will be a while before I make it over there but until then I am going
to see if I can make an attempt at preparing this type of food while here
in Colombia even if I have to substitute the ingredients with more regional foods. Thanks for the entry Mark!
lara dunston says
August 7, 2011 at 4:02 am

Nice intro. Not yet been to Ethiopia, though dying to go – the best Ethiopian meal we had was in Cape Town, and it was just so incredibly tasty. Very different to poor Janet’s experience, which reminds me of my first trip to Bolivia around, eek, some 15 yrs ago, when I ate a hell of a lot of godawful purple potatoes.
- Darktravel says
  August 11, 2011 at 4:07 pm
  
  Purple potatoes is very delicious.:)
Nandita Amin says
December 30, 2012 at 11:35 am

Just about to leave for Ethiopia in 4 hours and found your post when I Googled…..it will be very useful and will try some of what you recommend ….. many thanks for your suggestions.
Meron Asfaw says
July 24, 2013 at 8:31 pm

I eat Ethiopian food on a daily basis.
Yidnekachew Kassa says
November 21, 2013 at 9:21 am

It is good to seep people are talking about Ethiopian food. Dear all; there are a lot of things that forced you to come to Ethiopia apart from the Traditional foods. Ethiopia as a country; has more than 3000 thousand years history. If you are lucky to come to Ethiopia to enjoy with the traditional food and hope not to forget visiting historical places, birds and wild animals unique to Ethiopia .Because you will be amused when you see the origin of mankind also.
Tina says
December 9, 2013 at 6:35 pm

My favorite restaurant when I was a college student was an Ethiopian place near Columbia U. I loved the communal experience with my friends. Later, I discovered a few good Ethiopian places in L.A. – but there are none where I live now. And I’m getting a craving for it!
- Dave says
  December 10, 2013 at 8:50 am
  
  I was first exposed to Ethiopian food in Washington, DC. Lots of restaurants there, especially in Adams Morgan.