Cultured Palate: International Dishes from Ethiopia

It’s never been easier to get hooked on Ethiopian food. The spicy, primarily vegan cuisine of this small country is spreading rapidly around the world, and it’s easy to understand why. Ethiopian cuisine is eaten primarily with one’s hands, and feeding each other is considered an act of love and respect. Sharing a plate of Ethiopian food with anyone, friend or family, is enjoyable. Let’s explore the basics of Ethiopian cuisine and discover some of the key international dishes that create Ethiopia’s unique culinary landscape.

1. Injera

If you’ve ever stepped into an Ethiopian restaurant before, you’ve seen injera. It’s a teff-flour based flatbread made of batter that ferments for a few days before being poured onto a metal or clay griddle. The resulting bread is large, circular, and dotted with tiny pockets made from the air bubbles escaping during cooking. Injera has a slightly sour taste from the fermentation, but it’s deliciously chewy especially when served fresh. Most meals in Ethiopia are served on top of injera, which is ripped into pieces and used to scoop up the food on top in place of utensils.

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