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The Tigrian dishes consists of injera, a flat, circular pancake made from a
fermented teff flour batter. Various side dishes of meat, pulses and vegetables
along with sauces which are generally spiced are also served with injera. The
injera is either topped with these side servings or it can be torn off and used
to pick up the sauces and fillings.
A typical dish is Wot, a hot spicy stew of meat or vegetables, seasoned with a
blend of Berbere. It is often made with Doro (Chicken) and normally served with
injera; the traditional spongy pancake made from a fermented teff flour
batter.fata(mixture of bread and some ingredients) is known breakfast.siwa is
found all over the towns , a local favourite beer and Katikala, a distilled
liquor.
Ingera is made from a cereal grain that is unique known as Tef. Though t'efs is
unique to Ethiopia it is diverse in color and habitat. Tef is a member of the
grass genus Eragrostis or lovegrass. T'ef will grow in many areas it is not an
easy crop to farm. One problem in particular is that the weight of the grain
bends the stem to the ground. Fortunately all Ethiopians depends on Tef Ingera,
as a staple of their diet. Tef is nutritional miracle food. It contains two to
three times the iron of wheat or barley. The calcium, potassium and other
essential minerals are also many times what would be found in an equal amount
of other grains. Tef has 14% protein, 3% fat and 81% complex carbohydrate. Tef
is the only grain to have symbiotic yeast. Like grapes, the yeast is on the
grain so no yeast is added in the preparation of ingera. Tef is milled to flour
and made into batter. the batter is allowed to sit so the yeast can become
active. When the batter is ready it is poured on a large flat oven and allowed
to cook. This process is much harder than it sounds and it is recommended
buying from an Ethiopian Market or Restaurant in your area. Make sure it is Tef
Ingera not a substitute Western grains.
In Tigrai it is traditional to eat with the right hand and water for washing
one's hands is usually brought to the table before the dish is served.
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