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Ethiopian cuisine uses many aromatic spices and herbs which impart the rich colors, flavors and smells that the dishes are known for. Like most cusines around the world, Ethiopian cuisine makes full use of indigenous spices as well as spices introduced more recently from around the world. As in many culinary traditions, Ethiopians appreciate the spice and color imparted by chili peppers, most notably found in spice mixes like berbere and mitmita.
Some of the spices found in Ethiopian food are very familiar to American and western palettes, while others deserve much more attention! This list is by no means exhaustive of all spices used in Ethiopian cuisine, but just aims to introduce you to some you may not have encountered in United States.
Turmeric Root
Turmeric is a root in the ginger family, which may be familiar to many people for its use in Indian cuisine. Turmeric has an earthy, peppery flavor and a vibrant yellow color imparted by curcumin, one of the main constituents in the root. It originates in India.
Dried rue seeds
Ruta chalepensis is the species of rue used in Ethiopia, which is different from Ruta graveolens used in other European cuisines. Rue has a long history, being an ingredient in ancient roman cuisine. It has been used for things like flavoring beer, in modern cuisines, and added to coffee and stews in Ethiopian cuisine. It is used sparingly because it can cause gastric upset and is toxic in large amounts.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is fairly well known to people in western countries. It comes from the seed of the evergreen tree Myristica fragrans from Indonesia. Nutmeg is also known for having some psychoactive properties.
Noog
Noog is rather an oil seed rather than a spice. It is native to Ethiopia and produces a yellowish oil used in cooking and for other purposes similar to olive oil. Most people around the world are probably familiar with it for it’s use in bird seed.
Indian Long pepper – Ethiopian Timez
Long pepper is the fruit of a pepper vine, in the pepper family. The fruit is a composite of many tiny fruits. The taste is similar to black pepper, but sweeter and less pungent. The pepper was used as far back as Hippocrates, who used it for a medicine rather than a spice.
Fenugreek
The fenugreek plant is in the bean family, and it’s seeds and leaves are frequently used as spices in numerous cuisines in addition to Ethiopian. The plant appears to have been domesticated in the ancient near east, and samples have been discovered and dated to 4000 BC.
Ethiopian Black Cumin
Also known as nigella, is from a flower native to eastern Europe. The spice has been used for many thousands of years and has been discovered in many archeological sites, including Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Besobela
Besobela is related to Holy Basil though with a slightly different taste. Holy Basil is used throughout Asia and in ayurvedic medicine. Besobela is mixed in clarified butter to make Ethiopian niter kibbeh or spiced butter, and is added to other soups and stews as well.
Cororima or Ethiopian Cardamom
Cororima is in the ginger family and is native to Ethiopian. It is used extensively in Ethiopian cuisine, being an ingredient in berbere, mitmita and awaze spice mixes. It is also can be used to flavor coffee.
Ajwain Seeds
Ajwain Seeds are from a plant in the carrot family. They are used commonly in the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan, where they are often dried and fried in butter to develop a more complex flavor. They also incorporated into breads.