Berbere

Berbéré

What it is

Half the blend rests on plants that rarely leave Ethiopia: korarima, a cardamom relative; besobela, the local holy basil; and tenadam, rue, picked as a leaf. It is not a seasoning but a base — a doro wat starts with onions cooked dry to nothing and then several tablespoons of berbere, which is why a jar empties at a rate no European spice tin ever does.

In the kitchen

Cook it: stir the powder into the onions and niter kibbeh and let it fry gently five to ten minutes before any liquid, or the finished stew tastes of dust. Reckon two tablespoons for a chicken, and expect the colour to darken from red towards brick as it works.

Goes with

Niter kibbeh Onion Garlic Ginger Chicken Fenugreek Cardamom Lentils

Also used with

Teff Teff flour

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