An Ethiopian newcomer makes a spicy splash in AlexandriaAmong 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.
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.