Ethiopian

What it is

Ethiopian cuisine grew out of the country’s highland grain — teff, an ancient grass cultivated nowhere else for thousands of years — and its Orthodox Christian fasting calendar, which mandates vegan eating for roughly 200 days a year. The result is one of the world’s deepest vegan traditions inside a meat-loving culture.

How it tastes

Berbere — a paste of dried chili, garlic, ginger, korarima, fenugreek, and a dozen other spices — defines the flavor. Niter kibbeh, spiced clarified butter, layers in floral warmth. Injera’s natural sourness from teff fermentation cools the heat.

Signature dishes & techniques

Doro wat — chicken slow-cooked in berbere with hard-boiled eggs — is the national celebration dish. Kitfo, finely minced raw beef in spiced butter, is a delicacy. Vegan fasting plates of shiro (chickpea-flour stew), misir wat (red lentil), and gomen (collards) fill the beyaynetu combination platter served on a single round of injera.