This how people in the rural area of Ethiopia make a food – Making Shiro

Let’s discuss some Ethiopian cuisine background. Ethiopian food is typically various spicy stews/curries (called wats) made of different meats or legumes, that are served on top of a large circle of Ethiopian sourdough flat-bread called injera.

Every Ethiopian has a love/hate relationship with shiro. It’s the household staple that can cure any rainy day and the “shut down” response to every child’s request to eat out. Many McDonald’s dreams have been crushed by shiro, until we go to college and become sick of fast food, but crave a warm plate of shiro. It’s a complicated relationship. In Ethiopia, shiro is the most nourishing and affordable dish available. As people gain economic and social success, they tend to eat less and less of the dish, opting for meat-based dishes instead. On my last trip to Ethiopia, I would receive looks of pity when I would opt for shiro and other vegan dishes on Easter–after everyone else had broken their 8-week vegan fast.

Injera, the base for all Ethiopian dishes, is made of teff, an alkaline seed that has been introduced to the western world as a “superfood.” Despite the west’s recent introduction to the seed, teff has been cultivated in Ethiopia and Eritrea since at least 1,000 B.C. Because of teff’s nutritional content, injera is naturally gluten-free, high in fiber, magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, calcium, and vitamin C. In fact, even the most renowned Ethiopian long-distance runners claim they get most of their protein from injera. Injera is critical to any authentic Ethiopian meal. It basically serves as both the “platter” for your meal as well as your utensil, because you don’t use spoons or forks when eating Ethiopian. You pick everything up with your right hand, preferably with a small amount of injera as a vehicle.