Ethiopian & Eritrean Fermented Flatbread Made with Teff Flour
Injera (እንጀራ in Amharic) is a sour fermented flatbread, traditionally made with teff flour. It is an important staple in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and is consumed with nearly every meal. Injera serves as a bed for stews, meats and vegetables, and is also used as a utensil for eating.
For thousands of years, in the highlands of Ethiopia, families have gathered around woven baskets called mesobs, breaking bread from a single, round flatbread known as injera. Injera isn’t just a staple—it’s a communal tradition at the heart of Ethiopian culture.
Made from teff, an ancient grain believed to have been domesticated over 3,000 years ago, injera has been a staple since the time of the Aksumite Empire.
Injera’s sour tang comes from a slow fermentation process—batter resting for days before it’s poured in spirals onto a hot mitad. When it bubbles and steams, forming its iconic lace-like surface, it’s ready to cradle stews like doro wat and shiro.
But the beauty of injera isn’t just in how it’s made, it’s in how it’s shared. Meals built around injera are eaten together, hands only, no utensils. One piece torn and offered to another is a gesture of respect, affection, and community. It’s a tradition passed through generations, unchanged even as kitchens moved from clay stoves to electric ones, and injera followed the Ethiopian diaspora around the world.
Injera isn’t just what’s served at the table—it is the table. It is a tradition of sharing and storytelling stretching across millennia.
Injera has a mildly tangy, sourdough-like flavor with earthy undertones. The fermentation process gives it a characteristic slight sourness that complements spicy Ethiopian dishes. Its texture is soft, spongy, and slightly chewy, similar to a cross between a pancake and sourdough bread.
Traditional injera is made from teff flour, water, and natural fermentation—a recipe that has remained unchanged for millennia in Ethiopian culture. Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a tiny ancient grain native to the Ethiopian highlands, where it has been cultivated since around 3000 BCE. This grain is so deeply woven into Ethiopian identity that it’s often called “the grain that built a civilization.” Authentic injera uses 100% teff flour, though some regional variations may include small amounts of wheat, barley, or corn flour. The fermentation process itself is considered an art form passed down through generations, with each family often having their own closely guarded techniques and starter cultures.
Injera preparation is a sacred ritual in Ethiopian households, traditionally performed by women and passed down through generations as both culinary art and cultural heritage. The ancient process requires patience, skill, and deep cultural knowledge:
The mitad itself is a cultural artifact—traditionally made from local clay and seasoned over years of use. In Ethiopian culture, a woman’s skill at making injera is considered a mark of her culinary prowess and cultural knowledge. The circular cooking motion and timing required represent generations of accumulated wisdom.
Injera offers numerous nutritional benefits:
Eating injera is steeped in Ethiopian cultural traditions and social customs that date back thousands of years. The bread is consumed using only the right hand (the left hand is considered unclean in Ethiopian culture), and the communal eating style reinforces social bonds:
The circular eating arrangement around the gebeta promotes conversation and community bonding, reflecting the Ethiopian philosophy that food is meant to bring people together.
Injera is unique among flatbreads because:
Making injera at home requires:
Many Ethiopian cookbooks, online tutorials, and cooking classes can guide you through the traditional process.
Injera holds profound cultural and spiritual significance in Ethiopian and Eritrean societies, representing far more than sustenance. Archaeological evidence suggests teff cultivation and injera consumption date back over 5,000 years, making it one of humanity’s oldest fermented foods. In Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, injera carries religious symbolism—the round shape represents the earth, and sharing it mirrors the Christian concept of communion.
Historically, injera sustained Ethiopian civilizations through famines, wars, and challenging highland conditions. The fermentation process was crucial for food preservation before refrigeration, while teff’s drought resistance made it ideal for the unpredictable Ethiopian climate. During the Italian occupation (1936-1941), Ethiopians’ continued consumption of injera became an act of cultural resistance.
In traditional Ethiopian society, injera-making knowledge was passed from mother to daughter, preserving not just recipes but cultural identity. The communal aspect of injera meals—where families and communities gather around a single platter—reinforces Ethiopian values of unity, sharing, and collective responsibility. This tradition continues today, with injera serving as a cultural bridge connecting Ethiopian diaspora communities to their homeland.
The phrase “injera new yihe” (this is injera) is often used to describe something authentically Ethiopian, demonstrating how deeply this bread is woven into national identity.
Injera is traditionally served with a variety of dishes that reflect Ethiopia’s rich culinary heritage and regional diversity:
The combination of dishes served on injera often reflects the season, religious calendar, and regional preferences, with each region of Ethiopia contributing its own traditional recipes to the national cuisine. The bread’s mild tang and absorbent texture were specifically developed over centuries to perfectly complement Ethiopia’s bold, spicy flavors and complex spice blends.
Injera is traditionally served with:
The bread’s mild tang and absorbent texture perfectly complement Ethiopia’s bold, spicy flavors.
The Teff Company grows Maskal Teff in the western USA, a non-GMO gluten-free grain that’s a superfood full of high quality complex carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and fiber. Teff is an ancient grain native to Ethiopia and Eritrea. Explore our website to learn more about teff. Learn how to make traditional injera or discover 100s of teff recipes from breakfasts to desserts.
