East Africa · Side
Kocho (Fermented Flatbread Made from Scraped Enset Pulp)
A dense, deeply earthy fermented enset flatbread griddled inside banana leaves, offering an herbal, sour foil to savory meats.
The story
Kocho forms the indispensable staple carbohydrate for the Gurage, Wolayta, and Sidama peoples of the southern Ethiopian highlands. It is eaten daily and takes center stage during festive celebrations like Meskel, paired inextricably with raw kitfo and ayib cheese. The raw pulp is scraped from enset leaf sheaths and fermented in subterranean leaf-lined pits for months, developing an earthy aroma and high dietary fiber content that requires intensive mincing before baking.
Cook this next
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.
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.