Ethiopia
Korarima
ኮረሪማ
Ethiopian black cardamom (korarima) — a warm, smoky, slightly menthol spice that's central to berbere, mitmita and niter kibbeh. Distinct from Indian and green cardamom, with a deeper, earthier aroma.
eastern-africa
Ethiopia
Explore 117 foods connected to Ethiopia, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
117 foods12 leading categories1 Essentials guides
Start with Korarima →
The local shortlist
Ethiopia Essentials
12 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
Open the guide →
The full directory
Traditional foods from Ethiopia.
117 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Filters
Ethiopia
Koseret
ኮሰረት
A lemony, oregano-like Ethiopian herb used to flavor niter kibbeh and to sprinkle on kitfo. Dried and crumbled, it adds a bright, citrusy herb note that's hard to replicate with any other spice.
Ethiopia
Kulet
ቁሌት
The foundational Ethiopian sauce base — onions slow-cooked down with berbere or turmeric, garlic, ginger and niter kibbeh. Every wot begins here; the depth of the kulet determines the quality of the stew.
Ethiopia
Kuti Shai
ቁቲ ሻይ
A unique Ethiopian tea brewed from the leaves of the coffee plant (rather than the beans). Lightly caffeinated, mellow, and a Harari-region specialty.
Ethiopia
Meskel Wet
መስቀል ወጥ
A rich Ethiopian festival stew prepared for Meskel with onions, spice and a choice of meat or pulses.
Ethiopia
Minchet Abish
ምንቸት አብሽ
A rich Ethiopian dish of finely minced beef simmered slowly in niter kibbeh, onions, berbere and a generous hit of fenugreek (abish). Earthy, deeply spiced and unforgettable.
Ethiopia
Misir Alicha
ምስር አልጫ
Split lentils cooked with turmeric, garlic and aromatics into a mild Ethiopian fasting dish.
Ethiopia
Misir Wat
ምስር ወጥ
A deeply spicy red-lentil stew — the vegan superstar of Ethiopian cuisine. Split red lentils simmered into a velvety berbere-and-onion kulet until they melt into a rich, comforting wot.
Ethiopia
Mitmita
ሚጥሚጣ
A blistering-hot, deep-orange Ethiopian spice powder — much hotter than berbere. Built around bird's-eye chilies with cardamom, cloves and salt. The defining seasoning for kitfo and gored gored.
Ethiopia
Mulu Asa Tibs
ሙሉ ዓሣ ጥብስ
'Whole fish tibs' — a whole fish pan-fried until crispy, served with onions, jalapeños, lemon and a side of awaze. A showpiece of Ethiopian fasting cuisine, often presented whole at the table.
Ethiopia
Quanta
ቋንጣ
Ethiopia's beloved dried, spiced beef — long strips marinated in berbere, mitmita and salt, then air-dried until chewy and intense. The original Ethiopian beef jerky, eaten as a snack or as an ingredient in stews.
Ethiopia
Roasted Barley Snack
ቆሎ
Ethiopia's ultimate crunchy snack — a colorful mix of roasted barley, chickpeas, peanuts and sunflower seeds, often seasoned with a touch of salt or berbere. Served at every coffee ceremony.
Djibouti
Sambusa
ሳምቡሳ
Crispy triangular fried pastries stuffed with spiced lentils, beans or beef. The Ethiopian-Eritrean cousin of the Indian samosa, beloved at fasting tables, breakfast spreads and Ramadan iftars.
Ethiopia
Sega Wat
ሥጋ ወጥ
Literally 'red stew.' A deeply spicy Ethiopian beef wot built on caramelized onions, berbere and niter kibbeh. The bold, fiery counterpart to alicha siga wot, slow-cooked until the beef is fork-tender.
Ethiopia
Senafich
ሰናፍጭ
Ethiopia's homemade mustard sauce — ground mustard seeds whisked with garlic, ginger, vinegar and turmeric for a sharp, sinus-clearing condiment served with kitfo, tibs and azifa.
Eritrea
Shahan Ful
ሻህን ፉል
Stewed fava beans served with chopped fresh vegetables and spices — a lighter, salad-like cousin of ful medames, popular as a fasting dish and street breakfast.
Ethiopia
Shamita
ሻሚታ
A nourishing Ethiopian drink-meal of mixed roasted grain and legume flours blended with water and spices. Filling, energizing, and deeply traditional — somewhere between a beverage and a porridge.
Ethiopia
Shimbra Asa Wot
ሽምብራ ዓሣ ወጥ
A wonderfully clever Ethiopian fasting dish: chickpea-flour dough shaped into little 'fish' and simmered in a spicy berbere stew. The vegan answer to a craving for fish wot during Lent.
Ethiopia
Shiro Fesses
ሽሮ ፈሰስ
A looser Ethiopian shiro poured over injera, with chickpea flour, onion, garlic and spice.
Ethiopia
Shiro Tegamino
ሽሮ ተጋሚኖ
A thick, carefully spiced chickpea-flour stew cooked in a clay pot for Ethiopian fasting tables.
Eritrea
Shiro Wat
ሽሮ ወጥ
The spicy red version of shiro — chickpea or split-pea flour cooked into a deeply seasoned berbere-and-onion stew. Cheap, fast, vegan, and the dish many Ethiopians could eat every single day.
Ethiopia
Siga Shorba
ሥጋ ሾርባ
An Ethiopian-style beef soup, lightly spiced and warming — comfort in a bowl, often served when someone's feeling under the weather. Simpler and brothier than a wot.
Ethiopia
Sinig
ስንግ
Ethiopian stuffed jalapeños — peppers split and filled with seasoned onions, lentils, beef or ayib. Beautiful on a beyaynetu and shockingly addictive.
Ethiopia
Spiced Buna
ቅመም ቡና
Ethiopian coffee brewed with warm spices like cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. A festive twist on the traditional buna — fragrant, comforting and irresistible.
Eritrea
Spiced Butter
ንጥር ቅቤ
Ethiopia's sacred spiced clarified butter. Slow-simmered with besobela, koseret, korarima, garlic, ginger and warm spices, then strained until liquid gold. The single ingredient that makes Ethiopian food taste Ethiopian.
Ethiopia
Spris
ስፕሪስ
Ethiopia's iconic layered fruit juice — vibrant stripes of avocado, mango, papaya, guava and pineapple stacked into a tall glass. Café showpiece, breakfast indulgence, and Instagram dream all in one.
Ethiopia
Suf Fitfit
ሱፍ ፍትፍት
A breakfast of torn injera dressed with ground flaxseed, oil and aromatics.
Ethiopia
Suf Weha
ሱፍ ውኃ
A creamy, nutritious Ethiopian drink of ground safflower seeds steeped in water and sweetened lightly. Cooling, restorative and traditionally served on hot days.
Eritrea
Teff
ጤፍ
The tiny ancient grain that feeds Ethiopia. Ground into flour for injera, teff is naturally gluten-free and packed with protein, iron and fiber. The foundation of Ethiopian cuisine for thousands of years.
Ethiopia
Tej
ጠጅ
Ethiopia's national drink: a golden honey wine fermented with gesho branches, served in round-bellied berele flasks. Simultaneously sweet, dry, fizzy and floral — and Ethiopia's contribution to the world of mead.
Ethiopia
Telba Fitfit
ጤፍ ፍትፍት
Torn bread or injera mixed with ground flaxseed, spices and oil as an Ethiopian breakfast.
Ethiopia
Telba Juice
ተልባ ጭማቂ
A creamy, refreshing drink of ground flaxseeds steeped in water and lightly sweetened. Often served during fasting periods for its nutritional power.
Ethiopia
Tella
ጠላ
Ethiopia's traditional homemade beer — brewed with malted barley, sorghum and gesho over several days of fermentation. Smoky, tangy and refreshing, often served at weddings and holidays.
Ethiopia
Tere Siga
ጥሬ ሥጋ
Literally 'raw meat' — fresh beef served in long strips or hand-cut chunks with mitmita, awaze and niter kibbeh for dipping. A celebration food rooted in Ethiopia's centuries-old butchery culture, often carved tableside.
Ethiopia
Tesmi
ጠስሚ
A spiced clarified butter from the Tigray region, similar to niter kibbeh but with its own blend of herbs and spices. Used to enrich tihlo, tigrayan stews and festive breads.
Ethiopia
Tibs
ጥብስ
A whole family of pan-fried Ethiopian meat dishes — beef, lamb or fish sautéed in niter kibbeh with onions, jalapeños, garlic and warm spices. Quick, smoky and explosively savory; the dish you order for a special meal in a hurry.