Finding the Past: Abyssinia Restaurant and Ethiopian Cuisine
Ethiopian food is the ultimate in living off the land.
Last year, I began a quest to find healthy food that tastes amazing. My adventure led me and my family to a little Memphis restaurant called Abyssinia.
My search for yummy flavors included a couple of requirements: plant-based yet satisfying, so that I did not feel like I was missing out. And when my family found Abyssinia, we knew we had reached our destination.
We found a group of people who immediately started talking to my husband in their native language because they were sure he was Ethiopian! They did a double-take at my youngest daughter, assuming she must be as well.
With such a love for cooking, I could not resist the temptation to try learning and creating these wonderful dishes myself. This food made us search our minds, the world, as well as our past, and we instantly fell in love with the beauty of Ethiopia’s rich history and amazing food.
There is a reason why Ethiopia has been described as the land of bread and honey. Grains, including sorghum, millet, teff, and wheat, all grow well in the temperate climate. And honey, collected by ancient beekeeping techniques, is used in everyday meals.
Every time I went to the restaurant, I would engage the chef, a beautiful kind woman whose skin and face looked like royalty. She and her husband delighted in my interest and shared their recipes, step by step.
They sell a spice mix called “berbere,” red lentils, green lentils, and shiro which is powdered chickpeas. I explained to them what I had already learned, and they laughed in astonishment! The husband said, “Wow, you really have been studying and you are serious!”
He gave me ghee right out of the kitchen and explained the importance of getting the cabbage right! He was so enthused he gave me a turmeric that he proclaimed was the “right kind.”
After searching out spices, recipes, YouTube videos, and relying heavily on the nice people from my favorite Ethiopian restaurant, I finally built up enough nerve and motivation to try it.
My family absolutely loved it, and so do I! We could taste the unique flavors that only Ethiopian food could provide. Now, at least monthly, this is a part of our dinner menu. When my girls smell the red onions, ghee, and berbere simmering, they know I’m prepping for an Ethiopian meal.
Cooking Ethiopian is a true labor of love – seriously! - because you are constantly mixing, turning, and adding until the food is complete. The only thing that I’ve not attempted is injera (Ethiopian bread) which is served with everything they cook. It is a process that I’m scared to attempt on my own. As a result, I normally purchase spinach and herb soft tortilla as our substitute at home.
On my plate, you will find my rendition of Yedora Key Wot - stewed chicken with a variety of spices, red peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, pure filtered butter (ghee) with feta cheese (they normally have homemade cottage cheese); Zil Zil Tubes (sliced prime sirloin sautéed with red and white onions, garlic, Berbera, and ghee); cabbage (made with turmeric and other spices), collard greens (simmered with a variety of Ethiopian spices); red lentils (a variety of spices); and Shiro (chickpeas with red onions, and a variety of spices).
The spices are like none that you’ve ever tasted before - but you will want more, for sure!
So, are you up for an adventure in food? Are you ready to take a journey of your own?
Find the food, and you can find your past.