Ethiopian cuisine, which is synonymous with Amhara cultural food, characteristically consists of vegetable and often very spicy meat dishes. This is usually in the form of wat, a thick stew, served on top of injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is about 50 centimeters in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. Ethiopians usually eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes.
African cuisine is an integral part of the continent's diverse cultures reflecting its long and complex history. The evolution of African cuisine is closely entwined with the lives of the native people. Influenced by their religious practices, climate and local agriculture. Early African societies were largely composed of hunter-gatherers who relied on foraging for wild fruits, vegetables, nuts, and hunting animals for sustenance. As agriculture developed across the continent there was a gradual shift to a more settled lifestyle with the cultivation of crops such as millet, sorghum, and later maize. Agriculture also brought about a change in diet leading to the development of a variety of culinary traditions vary by religion. Many African traditional dishes are based on plant- and seed-based diets.
Eritrean cuisine is based on Eritrea's native culinary traditions, but also arises from social interchanges with other regions. The local cuisine, despite featuring influences of both the Ottoman and Italian cuisines, shares similarities with the cuisine of neighboring Ethiopia and the cuisines from other African countries in the region.
Berbere is a spice mixture whose constituent elements usually include chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, Ethiopian holy basil (besobela) seeds, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek. It is a key ingredient in the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Berbere also refers to chili pepper itself.
Wat or wet or ito or tsebhi is an Ethiopian and Eritrean stew that may be prepared with chicken, beef, lamb, a variety of vegetables, spice mixtures such as berbere , and niter kibbeh, a seasoned clarified butter.
Niter kibbeh, or niter qibe, also called tesmi, is a seasoned, clarified butter used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. Its preparation is similar to that of ghee, but niter kibbeh is simmered with spices such as besobela, koseret, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, turmeric, Ethiopian cardamom (korarima), cinnamon, or nutmeg before straining, imparting a distinct, spicy aroma. The version using vegetable oil instead of butter is called yeqimem zeyet.
Ful medames, or simply fūl, is a stew of cooked fava beans served with olive oil, cumin, and optionally with chopped parsley, garlic, onion, lemon juice, chili pepper and other vegetables, herbs, and spices. Ful medames is traditionally made in and served out of a large metal jug. It is notably a staple food in Egypt and is considered a national dish, especially in the northern cities of Cairo and Gizah. Fava beans can sometimes be also found in other cuisines in the Middle East, and Africa, though cooked differently.
Habesha peoples is an ethnic or pan-ethnic identifier that has been historically employed to refer to Semitic-speaking and predominantly Oriental Orthodox Christian peoples found in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea between Asmara and Addis Ababa and this usage remains common today. The term is also used in varying degrees of inclusion and exclusion of other groups.
Kitfo is an Ethiopian traditional dish that originated among the Gurage people. It consists of minced raw beef, marinated in mitmita and niter kibbeh. The word comes from the Ethio-Semitic root k-t-f, meaning "to chop finely; mince."
Shiro, also called shiro wat, or tsebhi shiro, is a stew served for either lunch or dinner, originating from Northern Ethiopia and Southern Eritrea. An essential part of Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine, its primary ingredient is powdered chickpeas or broad bean meal and often prepared with the addition of minced onions, garlic and, depending upon regional variation, ground ginger or chopped tomatoes and chili-peppers. Shiro is served atop injera or kitcha. Tegabino shiro is a type of shiro made from heavily spiced legume, chickpea, field pea, or fava bean, oil, and water. It is brought bubbling to the table in a miniature clay pot or shallow aluminum pan. It is often consumed with dark or sergegna injera.
Genfo, Ga’at, or Marca is a stiff porridge-like substance that is normally formed into a round shape with a hole in the middle for the dipping sauce, a mixture of butter and red peppers, or pulses such as sunflower, seed, nut and flax.
Fit-fit or fir-fir, , is an Eritrean and Ethiopian food typically served as breakfast. Fit-fit is served by preparing sauce and shredding injera or kitcha into pieces and mixing the two. It is generally made with shredded flat bread, spiced clarified butter, and the hot spice berbere. There are two main varieties of fit-fit depending on the type of flatbread being used: the sourdough injera and the unleavened kitcha.
Mitmita is a powdered seasoning mix used in Ethiopia. It is orange-red in color and contains ground African bird's eye chili peppers, Ethiopian cardamom (korerima), cloves, and salt. It occasionally has other spices including cinnamon, cumin, and ginger.
Asida is a common dish in the Arab world. It is a lump of dough, obtained by stirring wheat flour into boiling water, sometimes with added butter or honey. Similar in texture to fufu, it is eaten mainly in Middle East and African countries. It is considered one of the most popular desserts and traditional dishes in many Arab countries.
Mizrahi Jewish cuisine is an assortment of cooking traditions that developed among the Mizrahi Jewish communities of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Influenced by the diverse local culinary practices of countries such as Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Syria, Mizrahi cuisine prominently features rice, legumes, meats, and an array of spices such as cumin, turmeric, and coriander. Signature dishes include kubbeh (dumplings), pilafs, grilled meats, and stews like hamin.
Aframomum corrorima is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial that produces leafy stems 1–2 meters tall from rhizomatous roots. The alternately-arranged leaves are dark green, 10–30 cm long and 2.5–6 cm across, elliptical to oblong in shape. Pink flowers are borne near the ground and give way to red, fleshy fruits containing shiny brown seeds, which are typically 3–5 mm in diameter.
Djiboutian cuisine is a mixture of Somali, Afar, Yemeni, and French cuisine, with some additional South Asian culinary influences.
Injera is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara community, like bread or rice elsewhere and is usually stored in the mesob.
Ethiopian Jewish cuisine is the cuisine of the Beta Israel. The cuisine of the Ethiopian Jews is similar to the cuisine of other Ethiopians, with some variations.
Zigni, kaih tsebhi or kai wat is a popular Eritrean and Ethiopian stew made from meat, tomatoes, red onions and Berbere spices. The meat can be beef, lamb, goat, or chicken and usually placed on a plate of injera, a type of unleavened bread made from teff flour. It can be eaten for lunch or dinner. The dish requires a relatively long amount of time but not a lot of active effort to make. The traditional recipe can take as long as five to six hours to prepare. As such, it is sometimes reserved for special occasions. The Berbere spices can make the zigni spicy and give it a red color.
