Have you tried Ethiopian cuisine before? An exciting, different, but in reality old cuisine that became popular and trendy a few years back. We loved the history and how deep rooted in culture this cuisine is. There are numerous joints in London that serve up authentic Ethiopian these days. We are not experts and have only tried it in a couple of places. The one pictured is The Queen of Sheba in North London (click here to view their menu). Check out this place we tried recently (click here) – they don’t serve alcohol and as far as I know the only one we’ve come across that doesn’t, so instantly it becomes number one for us.
What is it?
The first thing when you think of Ethiopian cuisine is the Injera. It is traditionally made out of the world’s smallest grain – teff flour. It is also said to be one of the earliest domesticated plants dating back to between 4000 and 1000 BC! Now, that’s heritage! Injera is essential to Ethiopian cuisine – it is used as an eating utensil as well as a plate! Basically it’s a sourdough flatbread, but unlike any other sourdough – it has a spongy texture and a sour almost vinegary taste to it. Your Ethiopian dining experience may depend on whether you like this or not.
Then, served on the Injera (using it as a plate) are a variety of meat and veg dishes. The ones you see on the picture below are Doro Gomen (chicken), Doro we’t (spicy chicken and egg curry in the middle), Minchet Abish (veg), Yebeg alich’a (lamb), Gomen (spinach), Atkelt we’t (cabbage with potato and carrot) and Sheba salad (thank you detailed menu!). Also, on the Injera you will see rolled up Injera – these are used as the eating utensils.
What did we think?
I remember trying it the first time and thinking it’s not often you try a cuisine completely alien and you think ahh this tastes good / familiar. This was one of those occasions. The dishes on the Injera were all like curries that had a familiar taste to them (coming from a Bengali background), minus the heat and spice though. Nonetheless, still delicious and the variety of curries is impressive meaning everyone will have something they like. Whether you are a meat-eater or a veggie. The Doro we’t was my favourite. The Injera was unusual though. It’s not like anything we’ve tasted before. And it probably isn’t for me. The whole experience was a good one though and definitely worth doing. It’s a fun whole family kind of social dining experience – love that!
The Coffee Ceremony
The cuisine / meal isn’t done here though. There is a showstopper that comes at the end. And trust me, it is a showstopper. Ethiopian coffee is world famous and for the coffee connoisseurs this is not news. Some say it is the birthplace of coffee (if so, thank you Ethiopia!). So, when you order coffee at an Ethiopian restaurant expect to be wowed. You are not ordering a mere drink, but you are ordering an experience or as they call it – the coffee ceremony!
Your host will come out with the freshly roasted coffee beans for you take a whiff and just prepare you and build your anticipation for the drink. The scents don’t just stop there though, then comes the wonderful aroma of the frankincense. Again, setting the scene for the star. Then your host will pour the coffee into the cups and traditionally popcorn is served alongside it too. Check out our video here.
Name a better way to drink coffee. I’ll wait.
