Yo, I’ve been wanting to try different cuisines for several minutes. Colombian food, Salvadoran food (pupusas, baby), Korean Fried Chicken—the list goes on. Of course I could’ve done that the whole time, but you gotta be safe, my friend. And because I have safety skills, I went to an Ethiopian restaurant that was well-spaced. You may be wondering, “What made you want to try Ethiopian food?” Good question! The answer: because of this reel I saw on Instagram. Watch it.
By the way, you should follow her misohungrry on Instagram or TikTok. She has amazing food critic content and your food horizons can widely broaden just by watching her clips!
And why not be inspired by clips like it, since you should support small businesses anyway. On top of that, Black History Month is in less than a week. Let me tell y’all that my article about Black History Month will be interesting, though it won’t be talked about in the way you think. Until then, let’s talk about this act of Pan-African solidarity, yeah? Okay, I shouldn’t be self-congratulatory.
So I already knew about the injera ahead of time just because of that clip. As for what I would have with it, lentils were definitely off the table. Never had them, but ehhh, they don’t look good. I ended up ordering the Kai sega wot (beef tibs) as an entree, with collard greens and potato alicha as side dishes. I also ordered beef sambusas as an appetizer, because why not? I’ve been dying to eat empanadas and other things like it, so the sambusas could satisfy that feeling for me (although they are more related to the Indian samosas).
Now look at that photo with all the plates. Don’t that look grand? We love to see it!
Let’s talk about the food itself now. First, the beef sambusas. They were crunchy and a little greasy, but nothing you can’t fix with a napkin. Beef wasn’t super flavorful but was modest enough that it’s not an overkill. I like modest flavors, as sometimes strong flavors can ruin a dish. This is something I would like to try to make at home. If you’re reading this Mom, let’s make this once I return home.
About the kai sega wot, potato alicha, collards, and injera. Injera is a sourdough bread, so it’s no surprise that it has that sour taste by itself. Though when I had a piece with the potatoes, the flavors of the potatoes were at focus. I wonder what the flavors are. Cardamom, maybe? I shouldn’t even be trying to guess. Injera and collards together are nothing special, but I won’t penalize them for that. The injera is supposed to be an eating utensil anyway. Remember, some countries like Ethiopia and Indonesia put an emphasis on eating with your hands. (Part of being a good critic is acknowledging cultural differences and changing your standards based on them. Don’t be an uneducated a*s.) The collards are obviously canned, but again, you have to recognize the circumstances and the fact that supply chains are short at this day and time.
And now, those beef tibs. Beef tibs. The kai sega wot. The flavor was a little like chili. Not a bad thing. A little processed, but can be reminiscent of dishes from other cultures. The beef was tender and of the right texture, so that’s a definite plus.
I think with these restaurants, it’s important to keep in mind that Ethiopian food in the U.S. is obviously not the same as Ethiopian food in Ethiopia. You bet I’m gonna go to Ethiopia to taste the flavors one day. But for now, this suffices. Although the flavors of the beef and collards were mostly processed, I would go to that restaurant again just for the eating experience. I mean, picture this. Tearing off pieces of injera as you pick up a potato, and then your taste buds encounter the flavors your brain can’t detect. Maybe that ‘detect’ part was a bit of a stretch. But I’m telling you that I don’t regret this experience at all.
Think about it. Ethiopian, Nigerian, and other African cuisines aren’t given that much of a spotlight. Why is that? There is Jamaican and Caribbean food, but still. AFRICAN CULTURES HAVE RICH TRADITIONS, PEOPLE!
Speaking of which, let me close by giving this one fun fact about Ethiopian cuisine! Did you know that native Ethiopian desserts don’t exist? Sounds shocking, doesn’t it? Although they have some European desserts (especially Italian ones), dessert is really not prominent in Ethiopia’s gastronomy. This is also because sugar has not been widespread over there, especially pre-colonialism. Though rumor has it that there are a number of Africans with very healthy teeth because of the lack of sugar. But, you know. “AfRiCa Is So PoOr AnD bEhInD eVeRyOnE eLsE.”
If you think that all there is to Africa is poverty, corruption, and instability, you seriously need to check your biases at the door. While those problems absolutely exist, there are plenty of positive aspects in African cultures and lifestyles. But that’s a story for another article.
Try Ethiopian food at some point. And the good news is that there are vegetarian and vegan options, so vegetarians and vegans can try Ethiopian food too!
