Ethiopian Food and Drink: A Traveler's Guide

Why Ethiopian food is special

Ethiopian cuisine is unlike anywhere else in Africa. Meals are shared from a single platter, eaten with the hands using a spongy flatbread, and seasoned with bold spice blends. There are no utensils and no individual plates, dining is communal and social.

The star of every meal: injera

Injera is a large, slightly sour fermented flatbread made from teff, a tiny native grain. It doubles as both plate and cutlery, you tear off a piece and use it to scoop up stews. Its tangy flavor balances the rich, spicy dishes piled on top.

Signature dishes to try

• Doro wat — a slow-cooked chicken stew in berbere chili sauce with a hard-boiled egg, considered the national dish
• Tibs — sauteed beef or lamb with onions, garlic and rosemary, often sizzling on a clay dish
• Kitfo — minced raw beef seasoned with mitmita spice and spiced butter (niter kibbeh)
• Shiro — a smooth chickpea or lentil puree, the everyday comfort food and a vegetarian staple
• Beyaynetu — a colorful platter of vegetarian portions, perfect during fasting days

Street food and snacks

Look for sambusa (fried pastry triangles stuffed with lentils or meat) sold for a few birr at roadside stalls. Markets in Addis Ababa and Lalibela offer roasted barley, fresh fruit and kolo (roasted grain snacks).

Drinks worth ordering

• Coffee (buna) — Ethiopia is coffee's birthplace; the coffee ceremony roasts, grinds and brews beans over coals
• Tej — a honey wine, sweet and potent, served in a rounded flask called a berele
• Tella — a homemade barley beer
• Local lagers like St. George and fresh fruit spris (layered juice)

Dining tips and etiquette

• Always wash your hands before eating; a server often brings water
• Eat with your right hand only
• Being fed a bite by hand (gursha) is a gesture of friendship, accept it warmly
• Many restaurants observe Orthodox fasting (no meat or dairy) on Wednesdays and Fridays
• A meal at a local place costs roughly 150-400 birr; tipping around 10% is appreciated

Stay connected in Ethiopia

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