Berbere

Grayish-pigmented berbere

Berbere (Amharic: በርበሬ bärbäre, Tigrinya: በርበረ bärbärä) is a spice mixture whose constituent elements usually include chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, Ethiopian holy basil (besobela) seeds, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek.[1][2][3][4][5] It is a key ingredient in the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Berbere also refers to chili pepper itself.[1]

Berbere sometimes encompasses herbs and spices that are less well known internationally. These include both cultivated plants and those that grow wild in Ethiopia, such as korarima (Aframomum corrorima).[6]

  1. ^ a b Debrawork Abate (1995 EC) [1993 EC]. የባህላዌ መግቦች አዘገጃጀት [Traditional Food Preparation] (in Amharic) (2nd ed.). Addis Ababa: Mega Asatame Derjet (Mega Publisher Enterprise). pp. 22–23.
  2. ^ Gall, Alevtina; Zerihun Shenkute (November 3, 2009). "Ethiopian Traditional and Herbal Medications and their Interactions with Conventional Drugs". EthnoMed. University of Washington. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  3. ^ Katzer, Gernot (July 20, 2010). "Ajwain (Trachyspermum copticum [L.] Link)". Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  4. ^ Gebreyesus, Y.; Koehler, J. (2018). Ethiopia: Recipes and traditions from the horn of Africa. Octopus. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-85783-562-8. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  5. ^ Zewge, K.; Mekonnen, M. (2015). Ethiopian Cookbook: Pinnacle of Traditional Cuisine. Xlibris US. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-5035-9041-0. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  6. ^ Bernard Roussel and François Verdeaux (April 6–10, 2003). "Natural patrimony and local communities in ethiopia: geographical advantages and limitations of a system of indications" (PDF). 29th Annual Spring Symposium of Centre for African Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-26. This Zingiberaceae, Aframomum corrorima (Braun) Jansen, is gathered in forests, and also grown in gardens. It is a basic spice in Ethiopia, used to flavor coffee and as an ingredient in various widely used condiments (berbere, mitmita, awaze, among others).