Once in a foreign country, a tourist willy-nilly acquainted with her culinary delights. If we talk about Africa, then such experiments always bear a share of the risk. From this article you will learn all about the cuisine of Ethiopia and its main products, traditional dishes and beverages of this country.
The main products in the kitchen of Ethiopia
Vegetables, cereals and meat form the basis of Ethiopian dishes. Here are popular sauces from beans and lentils, porridges, sour milk, cottage cheese.
Once in a foreign country, a tourist willy-nilly acquainted with her culinary delights. If we talk about Africa, then such experiments always bear a share of the risk. From this article you will learn all about the cuisine of Ethiopia and its main products, traditional dishes and beverages of this country.
The main products in the kitchen of Ethiopia
Vegetables, cereals and meat form the basis of Ethiopian dishes. Here are popular sauces from beans and lentils, porridges, sour milk, cottage cheese.
It should be noted that indigenous Ethiopians practically do not eat pork. This applies not only to Muslims, but also Christians who, following the principles of the Old Testament, observe several strict posts and, moreover, fast every Wednesday and Friday. Thanks to this vegetarian menu can be found in almost any institution of public catering.
Instead of pork, they cook chicken, lamb, beef and goat meat, and as a curiosity tourists are offered more exotic types of meat - camel, crocodile or snake.
An important place in the kitchen of Ethiopia is occupied by spices. They have long been grown in this area, and it is not surprising that seasonings took a worthy place in the country's cooking. Among spicy additions to the dishes of Ethiopia are especially popular:
- Red pepper;
- cardamom;
- basil;
- saffron;
- coriander;
- ginger;
- thyme;
- mustard.
Spices are not only added to dishes, but also prepared from them spicy sauces. An example is mithmitt or berbere. The latter is more famous and is a sauce made of a mixture of ginger, coriander, red and sweet pepper, cloves, rue and berries. Use it, spreading on bread.
Traditional dishes
Going to Ethiopia, try at least one of these dishes, which are so fond of the locals:
- Bread Inguri (horse). It is not just bread, but a real symbol of Ethiopia, the embodiment of its national traditions and food culture . This is a large sour cake, which is prepared from tef flour. All other dishes are put on the Inger, and pieces of flat cakes that are broken off in the process of eating are used instead of cutlery - they are wrapped up in food. No forks and knives are here - the Ethiopians only eat with their hands! In addition to the ingera, on holidays, other types of bread are baked from the yeast dough - dapo-dabo, mul-mul, dabbo, shyllito.
- Doro-Vot. It's a chicken cooked in a delicious onion sauce.
- Shirou. A thick sauce, which is made from chickpeas mixed with spices. Shiro is poured on the injector, and then - dipped pieces of bread and eaten. One of the variations of this dish is Bozena Shiro - the same sauce, but with the addition of dried beef.
- Wat. This is a stewed onion served with a boiled egg and spicy seasonings. If desired, you can ask to add meat and / or beans to it.
- Tybbs. Delicious fried meat, which is served in ceramic ware, where it was cooked, with spicy sauce and bits of hot pepper. This is one of the dishes, which at least slightly resembles the usual cuisine, so many travelers order in Ethiopian restaurants just tybs.
- Fried caterpillars, locusts and spiders. This is one of the traditional dishes of Ethiopia, which can be compared with our sunflower seeds or chips. Fried on palm oil, these insects become crispy, and they are eagerly eaten by the inhabitants of the country from small to large. And insects are rich in protein.
- Fyrfyr. Affordable to everyone, but because it's a very popular dish - Berbere sauce, stewed with pieces of dried figs, garlic and onions. Most often there put yesterday's and even the day before yesterday's flat cake.
- Kytfo. On the table of every Ethiopian family that is more or less provided on holidays , this dish appears - a very sharp finely chopped raw ground meat.
Drinks in Ethiopia
Of course, the main Ethiopian drink is coffee. The fact is that it is grown in the country from time immemorial, moreover: the whole economy of Ethiopia is based on the export of grains. Even a glass of this noble drink, bought from a street vendor, will have a very not bad taste. The best grades in the homeland of coffee are Jimma and Harar. Be prepared for the fact that in local institutions as a snack for coffee not something is served, but a popcorn.
Other popular drinks in the country are:
- barley beer;
- honey wine;
- honey water burr;
- tasty fruit juice spris, prepared from several exotic fruits.
What should a traveler know?
Foreign gourmets often comment on how they cook in Ethiopia, quite unflattering. According to numerous evidences, the assortment of dishes is poor (especially in provincial cities, which, in fact, can be considered all but the capital), food in cafes and restaurants is stale, and the service leaves much to be desired. If you are not ready to eat with your hands, forks and knives take with them from home.
While traveling in the country, be sure to observe the safety rules:
- Wash the fruit that you are going to eat;
- drink only bottled water;
- do not buy products of dubious freshness;
- do not eat raw meat;
- Try not to eat too spicy foods if you have problems with digestion;
- Before eating, wash your hands with soap and water.