Ethiopian Jewish cuisine is thecuisine of theBeta Israel (Ethiopian Jews). The cuisine of the Ethiopian Jews is similar to the cuisine of other Ethiopians, with some variations.
Becausetreyf foods such as pork and shellfish are not traditionally eaten by eitherEthiopian Christians orEthiopian Muslims, keepingkosher in Ethiopia is a largely invisible practice. However, there are some noticeable distinctions. Ethiopian Jews refrain from eating popular national dishes made from raw meat, such askitfo andgored gored.[1] Jewish merchants in Addis Ababa five centuries ago deeply influenced Ethiopian cuisine by introducing curry powder and other aspects of Indian cooking.[2]
Ethiopian-Jewishdietary laws are based mainly onLeviticus,Deuteronomy andJubilees.
Permitted and forbidden animals and their signs appear onLeviticus 11:3–8 andDeuteronomy 14:4–8Archived 2019-01-22 at theWayback Machine. Forbidden birds are listed onLeviticus 11:13–23 andDeuteronomy 14:12–20Archived 2019-01-22 at theWayback Machine. Signs of permitted fish are written onLeviticus 11:9–12 andDeuteronomy 14:9–10Archived 2019-01-22 at theWayback Machine. Insects and larvae are forbidden according toLeviticus 11:41–42.Birds of prey are forbidden according toLeviticus 11:13–19.
Gid hanasheh is forbidden perGenesis 32:33Archived 2017-04-03 at theWayback Machine.Mixtures of milk and meat are neither prepared nor eaten, but are not banned either:Haymanot interpreted the versesExodus 23:19,Exodus 34:26 andDeuteronomy 14:21Archived 2019-01-22 at theWayback Machine literally "shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk" (like theKaraites). Currently, underRabbinic influence, mixing dairy products with meat is prohibited.
Ethiopian Jews wereforbidden to eat the food ofnon-Jews. Akes only eats meat he hasslaughtered himself, which his hosts then prepare both for him and themselves.
Beta Israel who broke these taboos were ostracized and had to undergo a purification process. Purification included fasting for one or more days, eating only uncooked chickpeas provided by thekes, and ritual purification before entering the village. Unlike other Ethiopians, the Beta Israel do not eat raw meat dishes such askitfo orgored gored.[3]
Ghee andniter kibbeh (types of clarified butter) are popular components of Ethiopian cuisine, including Ethiopian-Jewish cuisine. To avoid mixtures of meat and dairy, oil can be used as aparev substitute forclarified butter.[4] Kosher ghee, certified by theOrthodox Union, is available for US markets.
Because excess moisture is removed from ghee through heat treatment, the heating equipment must be verified as kosher as well, which adds an extra step to thekashering process.[5] Ghee is commonly used inMiddle Eastern cuisine and thus kosher ghee is widely available inIsrael.Yeqimem zeyet is a form ofniter kibbeh made fromvegetable oil and is useful as aparev andvegan alternative to dairy-basedniter kibbeh.[6]
Camel meat is traditionally eaten by Ethiopian Muslims, but it is not eaten by either Ethiopian Jews or Ethiopian Christians. Camels are not akosher animal.Camel milk is commonly consumed in Ethiopia, but is not consumed by Ethiopian Jews because it is not kosher (kosher milk must come from kosher animals).
Shabbat is known asSanbat in theAmharic andTigrinya languages.
Sanbat Wat (Sabbath Wat) is a traditional Ethiopian-Jewishwat that is prepared for Shabbat.Sanbat Wat is adoro wat of chicken and hard-boiled eggs served withinjera.Sanbat Wat is a spicy dish and is commonly seasoned withberbere, cloves, onions, tomato sauce, and other savory ingredients.[7]Wats made from chicken, meat, and fish are most commonly eaten for Shabbat dinner while vegetarianwats are eaten for breakfast.
Dabos, small round rolls, are traditionally served during Shabbat meals. Because Ethiopian Jews usually lackedwine forkiddush,tallah (a beer fermented fromgesho leaves) was often used as a substitute. Due to the availability ofwine in Israel, Ethiopian-Israelis generally use wine forkiddush.[8]
Because Ethiopian Jews traditionally interprethalakhic prohibitions againstcooking on Shabbat literally, no heating of food is done on Shabbat. All foods are prepared onErev Shabbat (Friday) and served room temperature.[8]
Ethiopian Jews who areShomer Shabbat cannot performbuna,[9] the traditional Ethiopiancoffee ceremony, during Shabbat.Buna requireslighting a fire and thus the ceremony must be performed before or after Shabbat.
Ethiopianmatzah is baked as a circular flatbread 2 feet in diameter, with a soft texture likepita.[10]
While most Jews stopped the practice of thePassover sacrifice after thedestruction of the Second Temple, some Ethiopian Jews still continue the practice.
Rosh Hashanah is known asBrenha Serkan in Amharic, meaning "the rising of the dawn." Ethiopian Jews traditionally only observed Rosh Hashanah for one day, as opposed to the two days usually observed by Jews elsewhere in thediaspora and in Israel.
Lamb, the most expensive meat available in Ethiopia, was served for the holiday. It was customary for affluent members of the community to hold a community feast for the holiday and invite other members of the community to join.[11]
Ethiopian Jews fast for the holiday ofSigd. To break the fast, it is traditional to eat a lamb or chicken stew served with eggs and potatoes.
Since meat can be scarce in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Jews usually only eat meat-based stews once a week for Shabbat, and for holidays.[12]
There are fewkosher Ethiopian-Jewish restaurants worldwide, even inIsrael. However, more kosher Ethiopian restaurants have opened in Israel over time. Several kosher Ethiopian restaurants have opened inJerusalem andTel Aviv. A kosher vegan Ethiopian restaurant exists in Tel Aviv.[13]
InHarlem, the Tsion Cafe, formerly non-kosher, serves kosher Ethiopian-Jewish/Ethiopian-Israeli inspired cuisine.[14][15] A kosher vegan Ethiopian restaurant was opened inBrooklyn in March 2020, certified with the "Mason Jar K"hechsher under the superversion of Rabbi Sam Reinstein ofCongregation Kol Israel.[16][17]
As of 2019, there are no kosher restaurants inAddis Ababa. However, theChabad house in Addis Ababa offers kosher food.[18]
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