Italian Eritrean cuisine is the mix of

Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...

n dishes and spices with Italian dishes.

Characteristics

This kind of cuisine is quite common with Eritreans in

Italian Eritreans Italian Eritreans (or Eritrean Italians) are Eritrean-born descendants of Italian settlers as well as Italian long-term residents in Eritrea. History Their ancestry dates back from the beginning of the Italian colonization of Eritrea at the end o ...

or simply Italians who live in Eritrea and vice versa. A common dish is 'Pasta al Sugo e Berbere', which means "Pasta with tomato sauce and

berbere Berbere ( Oromo: ''Barbaree'', am, በርበሬ ''bärbäre'', ti, በርበረ ''bärbärä'') is a spice mixture whose constituent elements usually include chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, Ethiopian holy basil (besobela) seeds, '' k ...

" (spice), but there are many more like "

lasagna Lasagna (, also , also known as lasagne, ) is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made of very wide, flat sheets. Either term can also refer to an Italian dish made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ...

" and "cotoletta alla milanese" (milano cutlet.) Italian influence is also apparent in Eritrea's beverages. Even though Eritrea has a long tradition of coffee drinking for centuries,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

style coffee like

espresso Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans a ...

and

cappuccino A cappuccino (; ; Italian plural: ''cappuccini'') is an espresso-based coffee drink that originated in Austria and was later popularized in Italy and is prepared with steamed milk foam ( microfoam). Variations of the drink involve the use of ...

are extremely common in Eritrea and is almost served in practically every bar and coffee shop in capital

Asmara Asmara ( ), or Asmera, is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of , making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The c ...

. The biggest brewery in the country is

Asmara Brewery Asmara Brewery (formerly, Melotti Brewery) is a brewery in Eritrea, founded in 1938. The brewery was nationalized by the Derg during the Eritrean War of Independence. The brewery operates a Asmara Brewery (sport), football team, which plays in the ...

, built 1939 during

Italian Eritrea Italian Eritrea ( it, Colonia Eritrea, "Colony of Eritrea") was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in the territory of present-day Eritrea. The first Italian establishment in the area was the purchase of Assab by the Rubattino Shipping Company in 1 ...

under the name of Melotti. The brewery today produces a range of beverages. A popular Eritrean

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

spirit that is common during Eritrean festivities is Italian styled Sambuca, in Tigrinya it is translated to ''areki'' Panettone - Nicolettone 2017 - IMG 7085 (31752542285)

Panettone - Nicolettone 2017 - IMG 7085 (31752542285)

History

The Italian Eritrean cuisine started to be practiced during the colonial times of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

, when a large number of Italians moved to Eritrea. They brought the use of

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...

, and it is a staple food eaten in present-day

. It is more common to find people eating the Italian Eritrean cuisine in the capital,

. Asmara has been regarded as "New Rome" or "Italy's African City" due to its Italian influence, not only in the architecture, but also for the wide streets, piazzas and coffee bars. In the boulevards, lined with palms and trees, there are many bars,

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

s and cafes, serving cappuccinos and lattes, as well as

gelato Gelato (; ) is the common word in Italian for all kinds of ice cream. In English, it specifically refers to a frozen dessert of Italian origin. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6%–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styl ...

parlours. Many Eritreans drink the

coffee, made using original Italian machinery. Pizza -the worldwide famous Italian food created in Napoli- is one of the favorite foods of the young people in Asmara.

Some popular dishes

* Lasagna- Eritrean styled lasagna * Cotoletta alla milanese (Milano cutlet) *

Capretto Cabrito () is the name in both Spanish and Portuguese for roast goat kid in various Iberian and Latin American cuisines. Argentina Cabrito is also a regional specialty of Córdoba Province in Argentina, especially the town of Quilino, which ...

* Spaghetti Bolognese, (Pasta al Sugo e Berbere) *

Frittata Frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables. The word ''frittata'' is Italian and roughly translates to "fried". ...

Panettone Panettone (, ; lmo, label= Milanese, panetton ) is an Italian type of sweet bread, and fruitcake, originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe as well as in South ...

Pasta Al forno ("pasta to the oven", i.e. "baked pasta"), or , is a typical dish of Italian cuisine, made of (usually short) pasta covered with bechamel and tomato sauce and cheese and cooked in the oven. History Baked pasta can ideally be divided in tw ...

Pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, on ...

Notes

Bibliography

* Capatti, Alberto and Montanari, Massimo. ''Italian Cuisine: a Cultural History''. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. * Dickie, John. ''Delizia! The Epic History of Italians and Their Food'' (New York, 2008)

Characteristics

History

Some popular dishes

Notes

Bibliography

See also