Label
All
0
Clear all filters
Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

injera the staple food or bread of ethiopia which is leavened with yeast or sourdough. It can be made of tef (the traditional grain), barley flour, cornflour (see maize), rice flour, sorghum, or wheat. There are Somali, Djiboutian, and Yemeni equivalents. It is central to the Ethiopian consciousness. ‘Have you eaten injera today?’ is a standard greeting. ‘He has no wat’ (sauce) on his injera’ means ‘He’s desperately poor’.

A dough is allowed to ferment for several days. It is baked into large pancakes on a ceramic plate placed over the fire or on an electric griddle. The bottom side is smooth, the top is perforated with many small holes (as a crumpet). The injera is spread out and the stew or wat (or multiple examples of them, plus a salad) is placed upon it. The right hand then tears off a piece and uses it to spoon up the cooked accompaniment. The bread is at once plate and eating utensil as well as food.

Become a Premium Member to access this page

  • Unlimited, ad-free access to hundreds of the world’s best cookbooks

  • Over 160,000 recipes with thousands more added every month

  • Recommended by leading chefs and food writers

  • Powerful search filters to match your tastes

  • Create collections and add reviews or private notes to any recipe

  • Swipe to browse each cookbook from cover-to-cover

  • Manage your subscription via the My Membership page

Download on the App Store
Pre-register on Google Play
Best value

Part of

The licensor does not allow printing of this title