Seasonings & Spice Blends
Berbere
በርበሬ
Eritrea
The soul of Ethiopian cuisine. A deeply complex red spice blend built around dried chili peppers and layered with a dozen or more aromatics — fenugreek, cardamom, korarima, ajwain, cloves, ginger, garlic and more. The heat and depth behind every wot.
Original eatfuls sticker artwork
What it is
A closer look at Berbere.
The soul of Ethiopian cuisine. A deeply complex red spice blend built around dried chili peppers and layered with a dozen or more aromatics — fenugreek, cardamom, korarima, ajwain, cloves, ginger, garlic and more. The heat and depth behind every wot.
What to look for
Know it when you find it.
A deep red, granular powder with a complex aroma of chili, fenugreek and warm spices; the base of every spicy Ethiopian stew.
Where it belongs
Origins and
traditions.
Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Berbere.
Names around the table
One food, more than one name.
Keep exploring
If this caught your eye…
Iran
Verjuice
آب غوره
Juice pressed from unripe grapes and bottled as a souring agent for stews, soups and salads — sharper and less fruity than lemon.
Connacht, Ireland
Achill Island sea salt
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Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican Adobo
Adobo
A dry rub of garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, turmeric and salt, or its wet version loosened with vinegar and olive oil, worked into meat before cooking.
Iran
Advieh
ادویه
The Iranian spice blend — rose petals, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and turmeric in varying proportions — mixed differently in every region and household.
Benin
Afitin
Fermented locust bean (néré/Parkia biglobosa) condiment; a powerful flavour enhancer; called 'African mustard' in Benin; the Fon name is afitin and Yoruba name is iru; essential to sauces.
Côte d'Ivoire
Akpi
Djansang seeds toasted and ground into a thickening, faintly bitter paste that goes into palm-nut and okra sauces.
Liberia
Akpi
Aromatic African nut used as a thickener and seasoning in Liberian soups and sauces.
Wales, United Kingdom
Anglesey sea salt
Anglesey sea salt is hand-harvested from seawater in the Menai Strait and sold as fine or flaked crystals.