Say the words ‘exotic cuisine’ and you might think of Paris or Bombay, but not Ethiopia. That’s unfortunate because injera, spongy flat bread made from iron rich teff grain, is just a sample of the delights that await those who are looking for an unusual dining experience. Ethiopia is a country highlighted by culinary delights designed to please the palate, warm the stomach and force the expansion of dietary limits.
Truly, what else would you expect in a diverse land that offers visitors savannahs, waterfalls, jagged peak mountains, breathtaking gorges and a host of spices that locals use like concert pianists playing a complex classical piece of music. This ancient country that claims the Blue Nile, called Abbay, and was once ruled by the Queen of Sheba, is home to some of the most savory and nutritious vegetable, nut and bean dishes ever created.
In addition, gourmet coffee lovers take great delight in sipping Ethiopian espresso often home roasted, ground and brewed and served in traditional coffee ceremonies. Knowing that the rich espresso brew served around the country, called Bunna, originated in the Ethiopian Kaffa Region only adds to the enjoyment of the aromatic, rich-tasting coffee. The earliest records of coffee, dating to the 9th century, were found in Ethiopia. Arabica coffee grows wild in forest highlands to this day.
Visiting the open air food markets gives you a hint of the dishes and foods served in homes and restaurants. There are plenty of bins with figs, plantains, grapes, pomegranates and one called custard apples, which are the fruits of a sub-tropical tree. You also find a multitude of vegetables, including the popular chickpeas, cabbage, carrots, red onions and Gomen or collard greens. Since many Ethiopians are Muslim, almost no pork is found in markets around the country, but there’s plenty of lamb, beef, goat and chicken used in meat stews.
Food, Friendship and Spices
Ethiopian cuisine is most notable for its expert use of spices. The soft gentle sounding names of the often used spices, spice blends and sauces that roll off your tongue…berbere…kaeywot…mitmita…nitirkibe…alitcha...awaze…are a bit deceptive. Most of the spices begin with ground hot chili peppers used to excite the flavors of the stews, and meat and chicken dishes. Ethiopian wats (also spelled wots) are spicy stews. These delicious dishes full of healthy vegetables are cooked with expertise using recipes handed down through the centuries. The dorowat (chicken stew), segawot (beef stew) and kikwot (lentil stew) are just a few of the most popular dishes simmered in large pots with vegetables and plenty of flavorings, including the most popular spice blend called berbere. Berbere is made from red chili peppers, garlic, dried basil, black pepper, ginger and other spices – up to 15 in total. Exactly how spicy any dish is made depends on the amount of spice used.
Making the stews even more interesting is the fact they aren’t eaten with utensils. You eat with your hands, and that is where injera does double duty as a food and a scoop. In Ethiopian culture, traditional dining begins with the serving of a common platter of food with injera in the middle and heaped with stews or surrounded by a variety of dishes. The host may first break off a piece of injera and feed it to you as a sign of hospitality, respect and friendship. Strips or pieces of injera are used to scoop the stews or pinch other foods you intend on eating.
Remarkable Nutrition
Vegetable stews are extremely popular in Ethiopia because there are as many as 250 religious fasting days each year, mandated for Orthodox Christian church members. During the fasts, meat is not allowed, so dishes like vegetable Alicha (also spelled Alecha) are cooked. Made with a variety of vegetables that can include red onions, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, legumes, green pepper, and naturally, chili peppers and spices, the Ethiopian stew is nutritious and flavorful . Other popular main course vegetable dishes include MesirW’t (spicy lentil stew) and YeshimbraAssa (fried chickpea dough and sauce).
A traditional vegetable wot served with injera is a healthy meal. The vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals. When legumes like lentils are added, the amount of protein per cup of stew soars to 30 to 40 grams. If leafy green vegetables like collard greens or kale are available and cooked in the stew, the meal supplies iron. The Ethiopian butter has a high fat content, but in a vegetable stew, some fat is essential for good health and flavor. American restaurants serving Ethiopian stews prepare recipes with less fat than that contained in authentic dishes served in Ethiopia. While the fat content in the American version may be less than 10 grams, it can be as high as 34 grams in Ethiopia.
Theteff, native to Ethiopia and the main ingredient in injera, is a remarkably nutritious cereal grass. There are three types used – white, mixed and red. One cup of uncooked teff supplies high amounts of dietary fiber (15 grams) and protein (26 grams) and a low amount of fat (5 grams) and even lower amount of saturated fat (1 gram). Teff is also rich in calcium and iron. Teff has high carbohydrate content at 50 grams per cup, but when eaten with a vegetable stew most of this nutrient is coming from the grain. In addition, teff has a high content of the animo acid lyscine needed for healthy muscles. When injera is combined with vegetable stew, you have a nutritious stew turned exotic and sophisticated through the use of spices.
A Country of Cuisine Surprises
Ethiopia offers culinary delights that reflect the beauty, cultural variety and history of the country. Ethiopians are proud of their culture, value friendships and enjoy communal meals. If you haven’t visited an Ethiopian restaurant, then you are missing out on unique dishes served in a way that promotes friendship and laughter – both of which we can all use in unlimited supply. On the first visit, you can start with an injera covered platter set on a mesob (woven basket table) and containing a variety of wots and chopped vegetables to learn which dishes best suit your palate. Once full of engudaiwe’t (mushroom stew), berbere lentil stew, yebegalicha (lamb stew) and ye’abesahgomen (collard greens), there’s one more thing to do. At the end of the meal, it’s time to sip a Bunna, enjoy a course of ayib to counter balance the taste of stew spices and continue enjoying time spent with friends and family. It’s the African way.