Berbere

Spices & seasonings · Spice blends

Berbere

Hot, complex Ethiopian chilli blend with fenugreek, ginger, cardamom and spices, the base of wats.

Also called: berbere spice, berbere spice blend, ethiopian chili blend

Around the world: በርበሬ, berbere (am) · berbere (ti)

A kind of spices

7 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Make it yourself: Berbere spice blend

Photo: Badagnani, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)

What it is

Berbere is the essential Ethiopian and Eritrean spice blend: dried red chillies with fenugreek, ginger, garlic, korarima (Ethiopian cardamom), coriander, cloves, cinnamon and other spices. It is brick red, hot and deeply aromatic, and is often cooked slowly with onions and spiced butter.

How it’s used

Doro wat (chicken stew)
Misir wat (red lentil stew)
Tibs and other meat dishes
Rubs and dips

Characteristics

Taste: Hot, smoky, sweet-spiced.
Sold as: ground, paste
Cooking uses: Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked
Common in: Ethiopian, Eritrean

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar away from light.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy: 282 kcal
Protein: 13.46 g
Carbohydrate: 49.7 g
Fat: 14.28 g
Fibre: 34.8 g
Sugars: 7.19 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, chili powder (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Paprika, cayenne and garam masala — Mix 2:1:1 with a pinch of ground fenugreek and ginger.

Related ingredients

Recipes with berbere

Awaze
Ethiopian · 20 min · 42 kcal · Vegan
Beef tibs
Ethiopian · 25 min · 301 kcal
Chechebsa
Ethiopian · 30 min · 453 kcal · Vegetarian
Doro wat
Ethiopian · 2 h 20 min · 591 kcal
Misir wot
Ethiopian · 1 h · 351 kcal · Vegetarian
Shiro
Ethiopian · 40 min · 273 kcal · Vegan
Zigni
Eritrean · 2 h 5 min · 295 kcal

More spice blends