Injera

Injera is a large, spongy flatbread that is the most important food in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. It serves as both the plate and the utensil for every meal. Stews and salads are placed on top of the injera, and you tear off pieces to scoop up the food. Injera has a slightly sour taste that comes from fermenting the batter.

How Injera Is Made

Injera is made from teff, a tiny grain that is grown in Ethiopia. Teff flour is mixed with water to make a batter. The batter is left to ferment for a few days, which gives injera its sour taste and bubbly texture. The batter is poured onto a large, round griddle in a spiral pattern. It cooks on one side only, creating a smooth bottom and a spongy, bubbly top.

Injera as a Plate and Utensil

A large piece of injera is spread out on a round tray. Different stews, called wats, are spooned on top in small piles. Everyone eats from the same tray, tearing off pieces of injera and using them to grab bites of stew. Eating this way brings people together and is an important part of Ethiopian culture. The injera underneath soaks up all the delicious flavors of the stews.

Fun Facts

• Teff is one of the smallest grains in the world. It takes about 150 teff grains to equal the weight of one wheat grain.
• Injera is naturally gluten-free because teff does not contain gluten.
• In Ethiopia, sharing food from the same injera is a sign of friendship and trust.

Did You Know?

Teff has been grown in Ethiopia for over 3,000 years and is found almost nowhere else in the world!