Madison woman teaches art of making Ethiopian bread (injera)
Tigrai Online
May 13 2011
There's a saying in Ethiopia that once you've shared a meal with someone, you'll never betray each other.
Dining in Ethiopia is uniquely intimate. People sit around a piece of fermented flatbread called injera, which is topped with various sauces and stews. Diners pluck off pieces of injera and scoop up the other foods. Sometimes, diners feed one another as a sign of respect. No silverware is used.
In most Ethiopian homes, injera is the dietary staple, eaten three times a day. And it's credited for helping the population survive the combined scourges of drought, famine, political chaos and extreme poverty because it's made with teff, which is something of a wonder grain. Native to Ethiopia, it contains protein, fiber, iron, calcium and other nutrients, and it's gluten-free.
The rest of the world is starting to take note, and teff is showing up in health-food stores.