When you sit down to eat in Ethiopia, the table is laid with what looks like a pale white-grey cloth - it is not a 'tablecloth' at all, but the injera. This sour flat bread is made from teff, a grain rich in iron and high in protein that grows abundantly in the hot, dry climate of Ethiopia. Heaps of food and stew are placed on the cloth, and no silverware is necessary, for you just rip off a piece of injera and use it to scoop everything up. Then you can eat the rest of the tablecloth, soup stains and all. As for a napkin - you can use the injera to wipe your mouth, and then eat it.

PHOTO: JENNY MATTHEWS

180 ml teff, ground fine
530 ml water
salt
sunflower or other vegetable oil

Mix the ground teff with the water and let stand in a bowl covered with a dish towel, at room temperature, until it bubbles and has fermented. This may take as long as three days. Add salt to taste. Lightly oil a skillet (20 to 24 cm) and heat moderately. Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet and spread around immediately by turning and rotating the skillet in the air. Cook briefly, until holes form in the injera and the edges lift from the pan. Remove and allow to cool.
Makes 10 to 12

Related Links:
BBC UN World Food Programme PDF Version