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Ethiopian cuisine (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ምግብ "Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā məgəb"), which is synonymous with Amhara cultural food, characteristically consists of vegetable and often very spicy meat dishes. This is usually in the form of wat, a thick stew, served on top of injera (Amharic: እንጀራ), a large sourdough flatbread,[1] which is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour.[1] Ethiopians usually eat with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes.[1]
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church prescribes a number of fasting periods known as tsom (Ge'ez: ጾም ṣōm), including all Wednesdays and Fridays and the whole Lenten season (including fifteen days outside Lent proper). Per Oriental Orthodox tradition, the faithful may not consume any kind of animal products (including dairy products and eggs) during fasts; therefore, Ethiopian cuisine contains many dishes that are vegan.[2]
- ^ a b c Javins, Marie. "Eating and Drinking in Ethiopia." Archived 31 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine Gonomad.com. Accessed July 2011.
- ^ Paul B. Henze, Layers of Time: A history of Ethiopia (New York: Palgrave, 2000), p. 12 and note