I’m no foodie. But with every place I visit, I try to eat local cuisine. In that way, my taste palate expands. And I end up learning a thing or two about their culture.

I was fortunate enough to go to Addis Ababa for work. It is the capital of Ethiopia and its largest city. I have a long list of countries to cross in my African checklist and Ethiopia was the second.

What surprised me the most about the capital was how elevated it is (and therefore how cold it can get.) The lowest point is 2,300 meters above sea level at the Bole International Airport, while the highest is at 3,000 meters above sea level at the Entoto Mountains.

If you want to look at the photos I took and the places I visited in Addis Ababa, here are the links: photography and places.

In the meantime, here are 5 dishes I ate in Addis Ababa:

Injera

Injera is the Ethiopian version of a pancake/bread. It’s multifunctional – the source of carbohydrates, edible cutlery, and the placemat for all the meat and vegetables that come along with it.

I’m not its biggest fan because I prefer the more plain tasting rice. This one has a fermented and/or sour tone that competes for attention alongisde the other elements of the dish.

The bonus in the photo is the peanut-sauce looking stew, “shiro.” It’s dried chickpeas with spices that some of my friends went crazy for.

Beef Tibs

Beef Tibs is a stew with chunks of meat. It’s a safe bet for those with a carnivorous tendency. Maybe a little spicy for an unexposed palate. Pepper, garlic, onions, and rosemary are standard ingredients that make this a good companion for injera (or rice in my case).

Zegen

I tried everything in Ethiopian night and this dish stood out. I read the title card and it’s named “Zegen”. Unfortunately, I could not find it in any online material. I don’t even know why it’s so flavorful. I remember the feeling but not the contents.

It’s pretty much ground meat. If you’ve ever tried Philippine cuisine, imagine a collaboration between “sisig” and “laing”. This is their birth child. Just awesome.

If you end up finding any recipe on it, let me know in the comments!

Doro Wat

Doro Wat is chicken in berbere sauce. And I had to google what a berbere sauce entailed. It’s an Ethiopian/Eritrean mix of spices, which include chili pepper, garlic, ginger, coriander, basil seeds (a kind that’s unique to Ethiopia), and a whole lot more that I couldn’t recognise or pronounce.

Normally, it comes with a hardboiled egg. The only note I would make is if ordered in a restaurant, the ratio of the sauce to the chicken tilted heavily in favour of the former. As a huge protein eater, I’d manage my expectations.

Nyama Dry Fry

Nyama isn’t necessarily Ethiopian. But my first time to try this East African dish is in Addis Ababa. Nothing complicated – onions, garlic, chili, and sometimes, diced tomatoes.

The people in the restaurant told me it’s best eaten with ugali (maize-based source of carbs). But I prefer rice as it feels less starchy. But you would’ve picked that preference up from this article.

All photos were taken on October/November 2022.