The market · Spices · East Africa
Berbere
Ethiopia's essential spice blend: dried chilli with fenugreek, ginger, korarima, cloves and more — hot, warm and earthy.
hot · warm · earthy
What to do with it
EthiopianDoro watChicken stewed slowly in onions, berbere and niter kibbeh until dark and thick, with whole hard-boiled eggs.No one here has made it yetEthiopianMisir watRed lentils cooked in a berbere-spiced onion base until soft and thick — the everyday fasting stew.No one here has made it yetEthiopianTibsCubes of beef or lamb seared hot with onion, green chilli and spiced butter — quick, where wat is slow.No one here has made it yetEthiopianGenfoA very thick porridge of barley or wheat flour, shaped into a mound with a well of spiced butter and berbere in the middle.No one here has made it yetEthiopianTihloBalls of dough made from roasted barley flour, dipped one at a time into a hot, spiced stew or berbere sauce.No one here has made it yetEthiopianZigniBeef stewed long with a mound of onions, berbere and spiced butter, often with tomato — red, thick and hot.No one here has made it yetIf you can't find it
Ethiopian and East African grocers.
- 1Homemade berbereToast and grind dried chillies with fenugreek, coriander, cardamom, clove and ginger; add paprikaYou lose little, if the chillies are good.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Ethiopian and Eritrean shops; homemade blends are toasted and ground in quantity.