Injera - The Staff of Life

My friend and colleague Zewdu invites me to have lunch with his family often. He and his family know how much I enjoy good food, especially their home cooking. He also knows I really enjoy a view into the culture and family life. But most important is the chance to relax and talk.
 
Today was special because I finally got to see them make injera. Injera is a mystery to many in the west. It is a spongy, sour dough flat bread. The staff of life in Ethiopia and Eritrea, but no where else I know of. “Authentic” injera is made with an ancient grain called teff. Teff comes in light and dark colors. To my knowledge, it was only grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea until recently. Since it is gluten free and very healthy teff is becoming more popular in the United States. It is starting to be grown there, perhaps a result of being a healthy ancient gluten free grain and the increase in Ethiopian restaurants in the U.S.
 
Ethiopians are usually surprised that I eat injera and the Ethiopian food that comes with it, much less like it. I think it can sit a little heavy on the stomach of the uninitiated. It tastes a little sour. But scoop up some tegabino with it and it becomes part of a delicious meal.

Since this experience I have also watched injera made over an open fire. I eat it every day, though not usually every meal like Ethiopians typically do. The injera griddle takes up a lot of space in an Ethiopian kitchen, as does injera in the Ethiopian diet.