Berbere
The red spice blend at the heart of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking.
Berbere is built on dried red chillies, ground with garlic, ginger, fenugreek and a long list of other spices, which can include korarima, ajwain, nigella and cloves. Families often make a year's supply at once, drying the ingredients in the sun before grinding. It gives the deep red colour and warmth to stews called wat, such as doro wat, the chicken stew served on injera. It is commonly cooked with spiced clarified butter.