5 popular meals in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, you will definitely find a plethora of food choices. You may even wonder which ones to eat and which not. Don’t worry this article will walk you through the popular food you would find almost everywhere in Ethiopia. Because the pattern of preparing and eating the food is similar, you will not have a problem getting used to the typical cuisine served in most Ethiopian restaurants.
When it comes to food, Ethiopians boast of their flat-bread locally known as Injera. Injera is everywhere. It is accompanied by different stews locally know as Wot. It is the wot that varies not the injera. Most Ethiopians are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox with Muslim and Protestants following. As a result, their eating style is highly affected by their religious beliefs. Rest assured that you won’t find many restaurants that serve pork. They have different foods for different occasions and particular days! So, it is better to know the local timetable as to order and get your food. Let’s start listing the food we’re all waiting for: – Beware you might get hungry!
1. Doro Wot
Doro Wot is literally translated to chicken stew. It has a lot of ingredients and recipes to prepare such as wot bereberespice, cooking red onions and chicken among the common ones. Doro is served only in certain restaurants as making it takes a lot of time and effort so even Ethiopians mostly eat this wot only on religious holidays and certain special occasions. There are also other dishes similar to how this might be prepared such as Key Wot and Minchet.
2. Kitfo
Kitfo is a raw lean ground beef that is served in traditional Ethiopian restaurants especially those who represent the Gurage ethnics. It is common in the Southern part of Ethiopia. While Addis Ababa also boasts serving Kitfo as a primary food. You will find Mitmita (a hot spice kind of chili peppers) common in this steak-like type of food.
3. Mahberawi
Mahberawi is a meat mixed plate with a lot of variety of wots that are all made from meat. Among these include key wot (beef stew), tibs (beef or lamb cooked with butter), and kitfo(ground beef). This food is recommended if you are eating in a group as this is served in one plate and is common among Ethiopians for social gatherings.
4. Shiro
Shiro is a chickpea stew that is a common and cheap Ethiopian dish. It is available throughout the country. The reason for its popularity, besides being cheap to prepare and make, is that it can be eaten while on a fast so it’s a perfect choice for vegetarians. You will find it as the primary variety in Beyaynetu.
5. Beyaynetu
Beyaynetu locally also known as Yetsom Beyaynetu literally translated to a mixed plate for the fasting period. The fasting period is typically on Wednesday and Friday where most Ethiopian Orthodox believers do not eat meat and any dairy products. Lentil and pea stews are the primary ingredients of a typical yetsom beyaynetu. In small restaurants, lentil can be served alone but most of the time it comes along with wide varieties such as misir wot, misir kik, gomen, alicha kik, and timatim sils.
Useful links
Click here to book a Ethiopian Food Tour in Addis Ababa
Click here to read our detailed article on visiting Ethiopia.
Click here to book flights
Click here to book hotels in Ethiopia or visit www.hotels.com.
