Ethiopia is fast becoming a foodie ‘cuisine destination’ that’s spawned an explosion of Ethiopian restaurants across the western world! If all you remember about Ethiopia is that they had a mass famine in the late 1980s, you’ve got a lot to learn!
Ekunal Fir Fir: The ultimate Ethiopian Breakfast! Essentially, fortified
Scrambled Eggs, leavened Ethiopian Bread – and more!
According to CNN Travel: “Ethiopian food is distinctive and delicious, befitting a remarkable country with a cultural heritage that stands out from the rest of Africa. While the cuisine of Ethiopia is gradually becoming better known, it’s no overstatement to say it remains one of the world’s best-kept secrets. […] Ethiopian food is distinctive and delicious, befitting a remarkable country with a cultural heritage that stands out from the rest of Africa.
“Eating Ethiopian-style means rethinking many assumptions you might have about dinnertime — for most of us this means starting with eschewing cutlery and being ready to get messy fingers […] because the foundation of the vast majority of Ethiopian meals is injera, a giant gray spongey pancake-like bread, upon whose strangely rubbery surface are served a vast array of foods, ranging from multicolored mounds of spicy stews to vegetable curries to cubes of raw meat.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself…
On our menu today…
Tibs: Considered one of Ethiopia’s favourite dishes (see photo, top of page), consists simply of sliced beef or lamb, pan-fried in butter, garlic and onion. The ritzy presentation has Tibs brought to your table with the meat sizzling on top of a clay pot full of hot coals. Tibs is seen as a sp-ecial occasion main dish or one served to honour someone.
Kifto: Because it is meat-heavy, and therefore expensive and hard on livestock resources, Kifto is considered a treat by ordinary Ethiopians. It’s eaten leb leb (‘tartare’ – just barely warmed) or ‘betam leb leb (‘very warmed’, or cooked). Kifto is traditionally served with aib (like dry cottage cheese) and gomen (minced spinach). Kifto is alleged to be just the thing after a hard day’s travelling, or a hard night’s drinking!
Beyainatu: This is probably Ethiopia’s favourite vegetarian meal. It’s basically ‘a bit of every type’ of vegie dish on top- of a slab of injera. CNN Travel sums it up: “Due to Ethiopia’s strong tradition of religious fasting and abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays, Beyainatu is widely available around the country, and served just about everywhere from fancy hotels to tiny food shacks beside the road. Hence when traveling or faced with a menu only printed in Amharic, beyainatu is a safe and simple go-to.”
Fuul: Is a breakfast dish that is about as common in Ethiopia as bacon and eggs or a bowl of cereal is in the West. I(t’s described as a mixture of stewed and spiced fava beans served with lots of injera. It will fill you up and get you goping for the day. ‘Special Fuul’ is a large serving or pot of the stuff, served with yogurt, tomato, green chili, onion, egg and occasionally avocado. That’s how they make it at Fuul stands or restos on the streets – a quick eat-and-go meal.
Enkulal Firfir: Is dry scrambled eggs but with enhancements. It’s considered the ultimate Ethiopian breakfast. The eggs are cooked in nitre kibe (Ethiopian spiced butter) and fortified with a combination of green and red peppers, chilli, tomatoes and onions. There is an omelette version called enkulal tibs.
Doro Wat: Ethiopia’s classic companion for injera is the culture’s pinnacle of curry cuisine. Doro Wat is described as ‘chicken drumsticks or wings [occasionally beef or goat] cooked and served in a hot sauce of butter, onion, chilli, cardamom and berbere. On really special occasions, Doro Wat will come to the table with a hard boiled egg floating on its surface. That’s customarily offered to an honoured guest. This is Ethiopia’s go-to special occasion dish featured in the menu much as we would serve Turkey for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
So much more…
There’s so much more at CNN Travel – The foregoing is just a crack in the door when it comes to the universe of Ethiopian food. And, though you might not be aware of it, there is a fast-growing interest in Ethopian cuisine which is resulting in a veritable blooming of Ethiopian restaurants in most European and North American towns and cities of any significant size. If you haven’t already – go for it!
~ Maggie J.