Berbere sauce is an Ethiopian spice blend that’s made of 38 ingredients, which give it its complex, sweet and spicy flavor. Berbere is the word used in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) to mean “spice” or “hot pepper”. It’s not just a spice but also a combination of herbs and other ingredients such as garlic, ginger powder etc…
Berbere sauce is a spice blend that is fundamental to many Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes. It’s usually made with chili peppers, garlic, ginger and onion—all ingredients you can find in your pantry right now. The basic recipe calls for fenugreek, coriander and cardamom seeds but these are just suggestions; feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices until you get the taste you like best.
Berbere is a complex, sweet and spicy sauce that has many ingredients. The amount of Berbere you make will depend on the amount of meat that you have to cook. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to make this recipe, but it can be made quicker if you are using premade spices or ready-made Berbere paste.
Berbere meat, chicken, vegetable stew are some of the most traditional foods in Ethiopia
Berbere is the national spice of Ethiopia. It’s used in most Ethiopian dishes, but it’s not just a spice or a rub. Berbere is a combination of 38 different spices and herbs which are ground together to make this sauce. It’s fundamental to many Ethiopian and Eritrean recipes, and it is actually considered one of the five essential ingredients for any dish.
The base of berbere has ginger and garlic along with chilies, fenugreek leaves, nigella seeds (also known as “kalonji”), cardamom pods (green), coriander seeds and fennel seeds. The aromatic spices include turmeric powder (haldi), nutmeg pieces or cassia bark slices; cloves; cinnamon sticks or quills; black peppercorns; dried red chili peppers called “ajwain”.
The word zigni means stew in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia). Zigni usually consist of diced meat or fish served with berbere sauce.
In Ethiopian cooking, zigni is a dish prepared with berbere sauce. Zigni is usually made with meat or fish and served with berbere sauce. The word zigni means stew in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia). While the word is often used to describe the dish that includes the sauce, it can also be used to refer to any kind of stew prepared using spices (not just berbere).
If you visit Ethiopia, we highly recommend trying this amazing dish. It is one of our favorite Ethiopian dishes and it’s just as popular in Ethiopia as tacos are in Mexico or pasta is in Italy. Zigni consists of a spicy sauce made with berbere peppers, clarified butter (gergir), and various vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes which are boiled together until tender but still firm. We eat zigni with a large amount of injera bread on top (the injera soaks up some of the delicious juices from the vegetables). The spicy flavor will wake up your taste buds!
If you’re not feeling adventurous enough to make your own berbere sauce at home yet (although we hope that after reading this article you will be!), don’t worry: there are many stores that sell ready-made varieties of berbere paste or powder. You can find them any other store where they sell exotic spices or specialty items like curry powders from different countries around the world; look for them near where all those Ethiopian sauces live!
I hope that you will take the time to make this dish and enjoy it. It’s not only delicious, but it brings back fond memories of my trip to Ethiopia.