''Kitfo'' ( am, ክትፎ, ), is an

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

traditional dish which originated among the

Gurage people The Gurage (, Gurage: ጉራጌ) are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia.G. W. E. Huntingford, "William A. Shack: The Gurage: a people of the ensete culture" They inhabit the Gurage Zone, a fertile, semi-mountainous region in ce ...

. It consists of minced

raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

, marinated in ''

mitmita ''Mitmita'' ( am, ሚጥሚጣ, ) is a powdered seasoning mix used in Ethiopia. It is orange-red in color and contains ground African bird's eye chili peppers, Ethiopian cardamom (korerima), cloves, and salt.Mesfin, D.J. ''Exotic Ethiopian Cooki ...

'' (a chili powder-based spice blend) and ''

niter kibbeh ''Niter kibbeh'', or ''niter qibe'' ( am, ንጥር ቅቤ '), also called (in Tigrinya), is a seasoned, clarified butter used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. Its preparation is similar to that of ghee, but ''niter kibbeh'' is simmered wi ...

'' (a

clarified butter Clarified butter is milk fat rendered from butter to separate the milk solids and water from the butterfat. Typically, it is produced by melting butter and allowing the components to separate by density. The water evaporates, some solids (i.e. w ...

infused with herbs and spices). The word comes from the

Ethio-Semitic Ethiopian Semitic (also Ethio-Semitic, Ethiosemitic, Ethiopic or Abyssinian) is a family of languages spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan. They form the western branch of the South Semitic languages, itself a sub-branch of Semitic, part of the ...

root k-t-f, meaning "to chop finely; mince." ''Kitfo'' cooked lightly rare is known as ''kitfo leb leb''.Mesfin, D.J. ''Exotic Ethiopian Cooking'', Falls Church, Virginia: Ethiopian Cookbooks Enterprises, 2006, pp.124, 129. ''Kitfo'' is often served alongside—sometimes mixed with—a mild cheese called ''ayibe'' or cooked greens known as ''gomen''. In many parts of Ethiopia, ''kitfo'' is served with ''

injera Injera (, ; om, Biddeena; ) is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia, Eritrea, and some parts of Sudan, injera is the staple. Injera is central to the dining proc ...

'', a spongy, absorbent sourdough crepe-style bread made from fermented

teff ''Eragrostis tef'', also known as teff, Williams lovegrass or annual bunch grass, is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the Horn of Africa, notably to both Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is cultivated for its edible seeds, also known as ...

flour, although in traditional

Gurage The Gurage (, Gurage: ጉራጌ) are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia.G. W. E. Huntingford, "William A. Shack: The Gurage: a people of the ensete culture" They inhabit the Gurage Zone, a fertile, semi-mountainous region in ce ...

cuisine, one would use '' kocho'', a thick flatbread made from the ''

ensete ''Ensete'' is a genus of monocarpic flowering plants native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It is one of the three genera in the banana family, Musaceae, and includes the false banana or enset ('' E. ventricosum''), an economically impo ...

'' plant. An ''ensete'' leaf may be used as a garnish. Though not considered a delicacy, ''kitfo'' is generally held in high regard. ''Kitfo'' is served on special occasions such as holidays; it is commonly used on the "Finding of the True Cross" or "

Meskel Meskel ( gez, መስቀል, Mesk’el) is a Christian holiday in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox churches that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Helena (Saint Helena) in the fourth century. Meskel occu ...

" holiday celebrated annually on September 27 in Ethiopia.

References

External links

Kitfo recipe
Raw beef dishes Eritrean cuisine Ethiopian cuisine {{meat-stub

See also

References

External links