East Africa · Side
Awaze (Spiced Chili Paste Made with Berbere and Honey Wine)
A vibrant, fiery highland condiment made by emulsifying premium berbere chili blend with Ethiopian honey wine, garlic, and ginger.
The story
Found in virtually every household and butcher shop (senga bet) throughout the Ethiopian highlands, Awaze is the quintessential dipping condiment for raw beef (tere siga) and pan-roasted tibs. Unlike long-simmered wats, authentic awaze is an uncooked emulsion where sun-dried berbere chilies and aromatics are hydrated and cured in fermented tej (honey wine) or katikala. The addition of freshly crushed raw garlic, pungent ginger, and a splash of spiced clarified butter creates an enzyme-rich paste that cuts boldly through rich, fatty meats.
Cook this next
Ambasha (Spiced Flatbread with Decorative Geometric Scoring)
An aromatic Tigrayan flatbread delicately spiced with cardamom and fenugreek, scored with an iconic sunburst wheel pattern.
Atakilt Wat (Braised Cabbage, Carrots, and Potatoes with Turmeric)
Tender braised cabbage, sweet carrots, and golden potatoes infused with aromatic ginger, garlic, and earthy turmeric.
Ayib (Mild Fresh Crumbly Curd Cheese)
Tender, mild fresh curd cheese simmered gently from cultured buttermilk and milk, serving as the essential cooling counterpoint to fiery Ethiopian stews.
Borde (Thick Fermented Beverage Made from Roasted Grain Flours)
Nutritious, effervescent, probiotic grain beverage with a refreshing sour mash tang, sustaining farm workers and families across southern Ethiopia.