Ethiopian food, being one of my favorite all time genres of edibility, deserves a brief explanation of what it is, and what it includes (check out “The Bite Of Inspiration: My First Encounter With Ethiopian Food”).

Ethiopian food is typically an array of various vegetables and meat dishes concocted into creations of different stews and saute’s.  The stews are usually served on a communal platter on top of a bed of injera.  Instead of utensils, handfuls of injera are used to scoop up the vegetables and meats and the whole bite is consumed in a harmonious unison.

What is injera?

Injera is made from teff flour, a millet like grass that is native in the Ethiopian Highlands. The flour is mixed with water and ferments until made into a sourish, spongy, pancake, used to dip into various dishes.

Berbere

Berbere is a glorious combination of spices usually including onions, ginger, garlic, salt, paprika, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, pepper and fenugreek, and then mishmashed together with oil and water to create a red paste. This extremely flavorful substance forms the basis of many of the dishes.

Niter Kebbeh

Is a form of clarified butter that is simmered with cinnamon, cardamon, coriander and turmeric and used in conjunction with berbere in many of the traditional dishes to create the signature flavor.

Wat

Wat in a western definition would be classified as a stew.  However, it is a complex, vibrantly colorful, and flavorful stew.  Wat usually consists of onions, mixed with berbere, and a single or combination of, meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, lentils, or chick peas to create an the array of dishes.

Tibs

Tibs is another Ethiopian specialty of delicately saute’ed meat or vegetables.

Kitfo

Another wonderful addition to an Ethiopian palette is Kitfo.  This raw beef dish is marinated in a spicy goodness to create something truly splendid.

Some of my particular favorite dishes include, but are by absolute no means restricted to, doro wat, shiro wat, ground beef kitfo, and goat tibs (also called nayama choma).

However, I beg you, whatever you do, do not take my word for it, experience Ethiopian food for yourself!

–Mark Wiens

Related

The Bite of Inspiration: My First Encounter With Ethiopian Food