Introduction
Sheltered in isolation, Ethiopian culinary art flourished autonomously for centuries in the high plateaus and low rift valleys. Ancient Ethiopian customs have since passed from generation to generation through culinary stories and practices like an edible oral tradition. Farmer families have entrusted the seeds of their crops as well as ancient cultivation processes from father to son, while family spice blending recipes and practices have been passed down from mother to daughter for generations on end. Imagine partaking in creating the flavors of blended peppers, legumes, grains and seeds in sacred gastronomic harmony pre- served for millennia!
Formerly known as Abyssinia, Ethiopia is home to several ancient ethnic groups with different written and spoken languages and cultural histories. This country of over 80 million speaks over 200 dialects and 4 major languages, with it's own written numbers and alphabet. Ethiopia observes a singular calendar of 13 months of sunshine" continuing a full 8 years and 7 days '!behind" the Western Calendar.
Ethiopian food offers an exceptional array of flavorful, aromatic dishes.While the spice blending can be complex, Ethiopian food is simple to prepare once you have access to the essential ingredients: berbere peppers, makulaya and manteria spices, nitter kibbe butter, shouro legume blends and teff injera; all now easily available online and in Ethiopian grocery stores near you.
Ethiopian cuisine is based upon the belief that hot chili peppers are the basis of overall healthy eating. In ancient times, peppers were used not only for their nutritional and culinary value but were also considered potent palette stimulants and aphrodisiacs.
One of the most consumed fruits in Ethiopian cuisine, peppers are the defining ingredient in most meals. Varying in function and use, peppers take part in the daily diet in a multitude of forms. Fresh chili peppers are popularly served stuffed with shallots, tomatoes, sea salt and nyger seed oil or simply eaten raw with sea salt. Fresh peppers are also used to spice salads and uncooked legume mixtures or are frequently blended with garlic for condiment dips. Alternatively, peppers can be simmered into the final stage of alicha sauces to add a subtle and unexpected kick of spiciness. Dry, crushed peppers are spiced to make seasoning pastes, cooking powders and condiments. Their robust flavor and antibacterial properties make peppers a medicinal and culinary wonder.
The fresh aroma ofwild herbs and spices lend its selfbeautifully to the heavily seasoned medley of flavors popular in Ethiopian cuisine. Spice makers lightly toast dry spices and herbs over a clay griddle called a mitad as a means of emboldening essential oils. The practice of smoking herbs, known as matente, is also known to flavor and condition clay cookware so as to enhance piquancy in the foods cooked and stored within. Dairy products are also often smoked with dry olive wood and seasoned using these conditioned clay pots and jars. Clay jugs & pitchers were once a necessity in every Ethiopian household for use in storing water, ergo(Ethiopian style yogurt), tell a (home brew), and tej (Ethiopian honey-wine).
Each of the main culinary ingredients used in Ethiopian cuisine originate in different regions throughout the vast and multifaceted terrain. Ethiopia is a country rife with environmental diversity and adversity. Plants, birds, insects and animal life have learned to thrive in unique high and low-lands in some of the most arid regions on earth and the most, windy and cold tropical plateaus. The peppers used in the berbere, mitmita and awaze spice blends for example are commonly known to grow best in the central Ethiopian region of Mareko. Women shopping in the market place require peppers grown and cultivated in Mereko, as they do of each of the other ingredients (cardamom; basil, kosseret, bula, teJf, coffee) and their respective regions of inception. Considered the birthplace of early humans, Ethiopia is also the origin of coffee, teJf, nyger seed, white honey and several other medicinal and culinary herbs, grains and seeds.
Whether you intend to use Ethiopian Pepper & Spice to make traditional Ethiopian meals or to experiment with less conventional, original fusion dishes, this book will help you understand how each of these spices, peppers and ingredients
functions in the world of traditional Ethiopian cuisine and culture. Here you will find an explanation of how each spice is engaged in the cuisine along with a bit of folklore, history, and recipes along the way. As anyone who has eaten, Ethiopian
food the old fashioned way knows, Ethiopian culture is about being grateful for what we have and sharing it with those around us. That is the intention 'of'this book.
Enjoy! |
