Ethiopian Cuisine: Eating with Your Hands!
Ethiopian food is one of the most unique dining experiences in the world!
The star: INJERA — a large, soft, spongy flatbread made from teff flour (a tiny grain that grows in Ethiopia). Injera is the plate, the utensil, AND part of the meal!
How Ethiopians eat:
1. A large round of injera is placed on a big plate
2. Different stews (called 'wot') are spooned on top of the injera
3. You tear off a piece of injera with your RIGHT hand
4. Use the injera to scoop up a bite of stew
5. Pop the whole thing in your mouth — bread and stew together!
6. NO forks, knives, or spoons needed!
Popular Ethiopian dishes:
- Doro Wot: Spicy chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs
- Misir Wot: Red lentil stew (vegetarian and delicious!)
- Tibs: Sauteed meat with vegetables
- Shiro: Chickpea flour stew, smooth and flavorful
Ethiopians often eat from a SHARED plate. Everyone tears injera and scoops from the same platter. It is a beautiful communal experience that brings people together.
Fun fact: Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast from animal products for about 200 days a year, so Ethiopian cuisine has an incredible variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes!