East Africa · Main
Chumbo (Layered Enset Pie Filled with Spiced Cottage Cheese and Butter)
A rich, celebratory Southern highland pie made of toasted kocho dough layered with herbed ayib cheese and drenched in golden niter kibbeh.
The story
Chumbo is an esteemed ceremonial dish of the Oromo and Gurage communities of southern and southwestern Ethiopia, traditionally served during seasonal harvest celebrations and welcoming banquets. It centers upon kocho, the fermented fibrous pulp harvested from the pseudostem and corm of the false banana (Ensete ventricosum). The dish combines savory flatbread discs with thick layers of ayib cheese and spiced butter, creating a multi-tiered savory torte that honors guests of high standing.
Unlock the full recipe
Members get every recipe from all 54 nations, the AI Chef, hands-free Voice Chef and their own cookbook. Seven days free, then £4.99 a month. Cancel any time.
Cook this next
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.
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.
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.
Bula (Smooth Porridge Made from Refined Enset Starch)
A rich, satiny enset starch porridge infused with spiced butter and berbere, yielding a deeply nourishing, comforting staple.