Injera and Wot-The Foundation of Ethiopian Food
Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Uncategorized
This is how injera is cooked.
This is a large stack of freshly made injera. Yummy!
This actually isn't wot because it doesn't have a sauce. It's Tibs!!! My favorite!!!
Sometimes in language school, we take a break from regular language learning and do something cultural. So a few weeks ago, we learned all about making Ethiopian food and all of the words in Amharic that go with it. Every October my language school does this with its students because after the rainy season (which ends in September) people are usually still tired from being inside so much when it rains. There’s a saying in Amharic that says something like “If you eat meat from the bone, it will give you strength” or something like that.
Some of us practiced bargaining for sheep. Some of us slaughtered the sheep, which is traditionally done by the men of the household (YAY!). And some of us chopped vegetables. I opted for the last one only because I don’t like to be that in touch with my meat before I eat it! We also learned about how to make injera from our wonderful Serataynya (maid) Tsige (which means grace or mercy in Amharic). Then we ate fresh injera, which is soo tasty!! I love it when it’s fresh. We had a good time eating, cooking, talking, and eating some more!
So, a bit of information about Ethiopian food….Ethiopian food is always eaten with injera which is a flat, spongy, sourdough, crepe-like bread. The injera tastes sour, because it ferments for a few days before it is cooked. Injera is made from teft (a very small, fiberous grain) flour, water, and yeast. On top of the injera there are different kinds of wot and or cooked vegetables and or meat. Wot usually consists of meat or sometimes vegetables, with a sauce. My favorite is Tibs–fried lamb(usually), spicy green peppers and onions with spices. Yum Yum!!!
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