Balls of dough made from roasted barley flour, dipped one at a time into a hot, spiced stew or berbere sauce.
What makes it tihlo
Barley roasted before milling.
A firm dough, rolled into small balls.
Dipped into a berbere sauce or a spiced meat stew — never eaten plain.
Where it comes from
Tihlo is Tigray's own, and one of its proudest dishes: barley is roasted before it's milled, which gives the dough a toasted, nutty taste, and the flour is kneaded with water and a little salt until firm. It's rolled into small balls that are traditionally speared with a little wooden fork and dragged through the sauce in the middle of the platter.
It's a dish for guests and holidays, and it takes time and hands — often several people rolling at once.
How it varies
With meat
The dip a thick, spicy stew of beef or lamb.
Fasting tihlo
With a sauce of berbere and oil, without butter or meat.