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Why Injera Is Plate, Utensil, and Bread All at Once
Gulilat HaileselassieOctober 15, 2026 · 2 min read
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The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony: A Ritual of Hospitality
Ethiopia is widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee. Arabica coffee grows wild in the forests of the country's southwest, and coffee remains woven into everyday life. Nowhere is this clearer than in the coffee ceremony, known in Amharic as buna, a ritual of welcome that can last an hour or more. Setting the sceneThe ceremony is traditionally led by a woman of the household. Before it begins, fresh grass or leaves may be scattered on the floor, and frankincense is lit so its fragrant smoke...
Berbere 101: The Spice Blend at the Heart of Ethiopian Cooking
If Ethiopian cooking has a signature, it is berbere. This brick-red spice blend gives the cuisine its deep color, its slow-building warmth, and much of its unmistakable aroma. Walk into any Ethiopian kitchen preparing a stew and the scent of berbere toasting in butter will tell you what is coming long before the food reaches the table. What is berbere?Berbere is a blend of dried chili peppers and a long list of warm spices and aromatics. There is no single official recipe. Families, regions,...