Massiwa Market — An Eritrean and Horn-of-Africa | massiwa-market.com
Berbere is the chilli-led blend behind most dishes served on injera — what goes into it, how the heat works and how long it stays potent.
A typical berbere recipe lists 10-15 ingredients. Ground chilli is the largest share by far, at roughly 40-60% of the total weight; the remaining ingredients are the aromatics that give the blend its depth.
Because chilli dominates, there is no reliably mild berbere: heat is controlled by the amount you add, not by the label on the bag. Add it to a dish gradually, taste, and stop when the heat is where you want it.
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As a companion to injera, berbere seasons the stews and sauces the bread is torn and dipped into — the bread itself stays plain teff and water. A six-person injera meal, sized at 600-900 g of flour on the main page, is typically eaten with several such dishes.
Ground spices fade. Berbere holds full potency for about 6-12 months after grinding; past that the flavour flattens even when the colour still looks fresh. Smaller, more frequent purchases beat bulk buying for this blend.
The same storage logic runs across the staples shelf: whole ingredients outlast ground ones. Whole teff grain keeps 6-12 months sealed and dry, while stone-ground flour is best within 3-6 months — buy whole forms where you can and use ground ones soon.
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