Description
Spices and herbs are the heart and soul of Ethiopian cooking. The cuisine is enriched with carefully selected herbs and spices. Generous amount of finely chopped onions form the body of the sauce and control its smoothness while the garlic and ginger partner with the rest of the seasoning. The presence of berbere (a mixture of chili spices and herbs) in dishes made from beef, lamb, poultry, fish, lentils, split peas (or shiro-a sauce making powder used as a thickener made from legumes and a mixture of herbs and spices) is what gives it the name of wett. While that of alecha belongs to a dish that is made with most of the ingredients and the addition of fresh garlic, ginger and turmeric but without the berbere.