Ethiopian Cuisine

Ethiopian cuisine is one of the world's most distinctive and ancient food cultures, quite unlike any other. Its foundation is injera, a large, spongy sourdough flatbread made from the native grain teff, which serves as both plate and utensil: an array of spicy stews, or wat, such as the fiery berbere-spiced doro wat chicken stew, and lentil and vegetable dishes, is spread over the injera, and everyone eats communally by hand, tearing off pieces of bread to scoop up the food. Ethiopia is also the birthplace of coffee, celebrated in an elaborate ceremony.

What you actually see

• Injera and wat - the sourdough flatbread topped with spicy stews.
• Doro wat - the fiery berbere-spiced chicken stew.
• The shared platter - the communal eating by hand.
• The coffee ceremony - the elaborate ritual of roasting and brewing coffee.

When to go

Year-round; the communal meal is central to Ethiopian hospitality, and the coffee ceremony, where beans are roasted, ground and brewed with incense and served in rounds, is an unmissable ritual. Note the many Orthodox fasting days, when vegan dishes dominate.

Honest expectations

Injera's tangy, sour, spongy texture is an acquired taste that divides visitors, and the food can be genuinely fiery. It is a paradise for vegetarians and vegans, especially on the numerous Orthodox fasting days when meat is avoided. Eating communally by hand from a shared platter is the norm and part of the experience. The unique cuisine and, above all, the coffee ceremony, are genuine cultural highlights.

Nearby

Addis Ababa has the widest range; the coffee regions of the south are its birthplace.