The tradition of all Ethiopian meals is to honor trust and friendship with sharing food-this is why most dishes here are meant to be eaten with the hands. There are no utensils in Ethiopian courses-bread is the backbone of the occasion, with a variety of dishes to sample along with the Injera, the Ethiopian bread.
All meals begin and end with the ritualistic washing of the hands-after all, the fingers are going to be constantly in touch with the food. Right before the beginning of each meal, a woman appears with a pitcher in her right hand, a basin in the left, and a towel draped over her left arm. Round the table she goes, pouring water over a diner’s outstretched hands from the fount of the pitcher, the basin catching the excess runoff underneath. Once everyone has dried their rinsed hands from the towel she offers, the feast is ready to commence.
Originally, the diner with the most honor would be sitting in a low-slung divan to eat, with the rest of the table being sat on stools covered with fur.
The table itself is special to the Ethiopian people as well-their food is traditionally served on an hourglass-shaped piece, sunk in the middle and made of wicker, called a mesab.
When all is made ready, a dome-shaped cover is lifted off from the table, and the bread underneath is revealed. The bread is made of grains indigenous to Africa, called Teff, and cannot be easily duplicated in North America. The closest thing Americans have to Teff grain is buckwheat, although the substitute is not a good one. Injera bread is flat, round, and pancake-shaped. The bread overlaps the table, readily available and easy for tearing.
At this time, the dishes to compliment and enhance the staple Injera are brought out, and positioned in a circle for the diners to choose from. Each stew, or dish, is made to be rolled into a torn-off piece of Injera, and enjoyed in that manner. All stews are thick, so that they do not soak into the bread.
A honey-colored wine, called Tej, or Tella, the homemade beer, is brought out to be enjoyed with the the meal, and the drinks are set on a smaller table close by.
The two main stews prepared in a dinner-type setting with the Injera are called tibs and kitfo.
Tibs are set usually as a special compliment to a guest eater. They are made of sautéed meat or vegetables. If the meal is to be shared with a special guest, they are served on a hot plate with salad mixed in.
Kitfo consists of rare ground beef marinated with mitmita, a spicy chili powder, and niter kibbeh, which is a type of butter.
Wat is a dish that is also ingested with Injera, which is a type of curry to compliment the bread.
Sharing a meal is an act of friendship in any culture, and in Ethiopia, during the feast, a ritual act of goorsha can occur to further capitalize on feelings of trust and friendship. This is carried out by a person rolling a large amount injera, rolled in sauce, and feeding a friend from their own hand. The larger the amount of goorsha fed into a friend’s mouth, the larger the pronouncement of respect.
There is no traditional dessert in an Ethiopian setting, but there are several coffee ceremonies that can proceed after a meal. Coffee is, after all, a hallmark of Ethiopian culture, a major export from that region, and Ethiopia is one of the first countries that drank coffee in the manner Westerners are familiar with today.
Coffee is served with sugar, but some parts of the country add salt instead. The beans are ground fresh, then, as they are boiling, the cook walks with the percolating pot around the table before serving. This way, the aroma can be enjoyed, and anticipation can build.
Since Injera isn’t something you can make from a trip to the grocery store, and the Teff grain isn’t readily available, most people enjoy Ethiopian food in a commercial restaurant setting. Is there someone you feel you need to complete the goorsha tradition with? Look for a restaurant that caters Ethiopian cuisine near you, with a local restaurant guide.
http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/
However, if you feel you want to try a variation of Ethiopian culture at home, there are some recipes out there that hit close to the real thing. You can substitute Injera bread with pita wraps, fanned out and heated on a large serving tray, covered until the time of the meal. After commencing the hand washing ceremony, uncover the pita, and ladle the Chickpea Wat directly on the bread, in the middle. Wine, beer, or carbonated water are all acceptable beverages to accompany the meal. After dinner, serve coffee.
Chickpea Wat Recipe, from Food.com:
http://www.food.com/recipe/ethiopian-chickpea-wat-219899
Serves: 6
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Directions
1 Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, cover and cook 10 minutes longer.
2 Remove and cover and stir in cayenne, paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, cumin, cardamom and tomato paste. Add chickpeas and water and bring to a boil.
3 Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and the flavor is developed, about 30 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. About 10 minutes before the stew is ready, stir in green peas and taste to adjust seasonings.
Web Credits
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/Ethiopia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_cuisine
http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/introduction.htm