Berbere

Berbere—actually berbère—is the common substitute for pepper in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. The name derives from papere, which meant "hot" in Ge'ez, an ancient language spoken in Ethiopia. It is one of the oldest spice blends in the world. It was already being made in the fifth century, long before chili peppers were introduced in this part of Africa.

Berbere has been a familiar spice blend for decades, known here only in its dry form. There's also a "wet" version with fresh onion, ginger, and garlic; in the dry version, onion flakes, ginger, and garlic powder are substituted. Although the composition of berbere, like most spice blends, can vary from region to region, from retailer to retailer, and from household to household, pepper always predominates.

Like no other country, Ethiopia has a tradition of integrating elements from other cultures. Even in the time of the Egyptians, this part of Africa was the center of the spice trade from the East, which was blended with homegrown spices such as korarima and African peppers, like timiz, the African long pepper.

Berbere is not a chili powder, and many commercially available berbere contain significantly too much chili pepper, which overpowers the other spices. A richly flavored berbere contains the following spices, most of which are toasted:

• kunitali - cumin seeds,
• korarima - white cardamom,
• dimbibal - coriander,
• abish - blue fenugreek seed,
• tikuri beribere - black pepper,
• timiz - cape long peppers,
• kiloki - cloves,
• allspice, and

(not roasted)

• besobela - Ethiopian (clove) basil
• zinjibil - ginger and
• tena'adam - winter rue

Smell and taste

Berbere is spicy and spicy. This berbere does not contain tena'adam, unlike many authentic berberes. Curious about the influence of this passion fruit pepper on the flavor? We also sell tena'adam. Use sparingly, as tena'adam has a slightly bitter note.

Usage

In Ethiopia and Eritrea, berbere is used in many stews (wots) ranging from lentils to chicken. Berbere is also potent enough to be used as a rub on red meat. One of its main uses is in awaze, a condiment you can also make yourself from berbere, mead (t'ej), and a little oil.

Features:

• This berbere contains: cayenne pepper, black pepper, fenugreek, coriander, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cumin and ginger
• contains no preservatives, and no paprika, garlic or salt
• origin: Ethiopia, Eritrea

Allergen information

• No allergens

Assortment

• available in glass and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
  
• glass jar contains 60 grams
• larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

• The jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper.
• For an overview of our other gift packaging, please refer to the section gift wrapping
  

Save

• store berbere in a closed container
  
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before June 2027 (06-2027)
• This expiration date is an indication

Batch number

The batch number helps us track which batch an item originates from. It's listed on the packing slip and invoice.