Love that direction 🇪🇹🔥 Ethiopian cuisine is bold, communal, and spice-forward, with deep flavors and very little fussiness.
Ethiopian Cuisine — the essentials
🫓 Injera (the heart of the table)
- Soft, spongy sourdough flatbread
- Made from teff (naturally gluten-free)
- Used as plate + utensil — you tear pieces and scoop food
- Slightly tangy, which balances rich stews perfectly
🍲 Wot / Wat (stews)
Thick, slow-cooked stews served on injera.
Popular ones:
- Doro Wat – spicy chicken stew with boiled eggs (national favorite)
- Sega Wat – beef stew, rich and fiery
- Misir Wat – red lentil stew (vegan, very popular)
- Alicha Wat – mild, turmeric-based stew (less spicy)
🌶️ Signature spices
- Berbere – chili-based spice blend (heat + depth)
- Niter Kibbeh – spiced clarified butter (cardamom, garlic, ginger)
These two define the flavor of Ethiopian food.
🥩 Dry & sautéed dishes
- Tibs – sautéed meat (beef, lamb, or goat), sometimes dry-fried, sometimes saucy
- Kitfo – minced beef, seasoned with spiced butter (traditionally raw or lightly cooked)
🌱 Vegan-friendly by tradition
Because of Orthodox fasting days, Ethiopian cuisine has amazing vegan food:
- Lentils, chickpeas, split peas
- Cabbage, potatoes, carrots
- Greens like collards and spinach
🍽️ How it’s eaten
- Shared platter
- No cutlery
- Eat with your right hand
- Feeding someone else injera = respect and affection (called gursha) ❤️
If you want, I can:
- Give you a simple Ethiopian meal plan
- Share a beginner-friendly recipe (Doro Wat, Misir Wat, or Injera)
- Break down berbere spices so you can mix it at home
What are you curious about next?
