An Ethiopian newcomer makes a spicy splash in Alexandria

Among the world’s most versatile dishes is injera, the spongy fermented bread that does double duty as a canvas for Ethiopia’s popular salads and stews and as a utensil for ferrying food to mouth. Forks and knives aren’t necessary when a diner has fingers and the ability to tear a piece from a scroll of the tangy, crepe-like staple.

At Makeda, a September arrival in Alexandria, injera also stars as a snack called kategna: toasted, burnt-red wedges that suggest a pizza with a dab of crumbly cottage cheese in the center of the pinwheel. Bite down, and the crisp slice oozes fat and fire, from a combination of oil (or butter) and awaze, Ethiopia’s answer to hot sauce. Your hands will get messy, but your stomach will be happy.