Berbere: the Spice of Life

Ethiopian food is really good. If you've never been I recommend you go up to L.A.'s Little Ethiopia to Messob Ethiopian Restaurant on 1041 S Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90019-4402 in the Fairfax district. You can try several different things, including: Wat, Tibs, Kitfo, and Fitfit. Wat is any one of a number of different stews. It's made with different things. There are Wat made up of chickpeas, cabbage and carrots, lentils, chard, greens, fish, beef, chicken, and lamb. In it is sauteed onions, vegetable oil, and berbere which makes a spicy keiy. Berbere is a combination of chili and other spices and it's essential to many of the dishes. Another key ingredient is niter kibbeh, a clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic, and several spices. The Berbere is instantly recognizable in the dishes. Tibs is sauteed meat or vegetables and special Tibs is the meat on a vegetable salad. Kitfo is raw or rare ground beef marinated in a spicy chili called mitmita and niter kebbeh. What's interesting about eating Wat is that you do it with your hands. There's a sour pancake called injera that you grab the Wat with your fingers and eat it. I really enjoy this basic, primitive type of eating. It's very peaceful and simple. It's even fun. Your in close contact with what your eating and you can feel it in your hands. Now there's a type of drink that I unfortunately have not had the chance to have. It's honey wine, similar to mead, cal Tej. It's drinken typically in a Tej bet, which is like a bar, where Tej is served. The food is served on a special table top called a Mesob. It's woven out of straw and is covered until the food comes. At that time a bowl of warm water is put on the table for people to wash their hands and then the Mesob is opened and the food is placed on top.

So feel free to try this interesting type of cuisine. I recommend it highly. The berbere makes the food just the smallest bit spicy, but it shouldn't put anyone off.