Merry Ethiopian Christmas
Washington D.C. houses the largest Ethiopian population second to Ethiopia. That means lots of spongy injera (their bread alternative), tibs (lamb stew), doro wat (chicken stew), and tej (honey wine)—the best of which is packed on U Street. “Little Ethiopia,” as I like to call it. Though favorite Ethiopian eateries such as Etete, Dukem, and Madjet are all open today, it’s actually Ganna, or Ethiopian Christmas, according to the lunar calendar.
But they're not frosting snowman sugar cookies or sucking on candy canes. When asked about the yuletide holiday, Hareqwine Messeret, an Ethiopian-born baker at the French bakery Chez Hareg on 9th and U Street, actually decided to improvise Christmas cookies this year. She's got a spicy shell-shaped cookie made with chili pepper, cardamom, and other savory spices usually added to Ethiopian meats. She didn’t want to re-create the indigenous flavors, so she just worked with what she had in the spice cabinet.
The brownish ones shaped like reindeer? Nope, not gingerbread. They’re actually made of barley and have a gummy texture, similar to a Turkish delight. They’re not sweet, or savory really. More wheaty and hearty, similar to seven-grain bread. Hareg also created towers of caramel-drenched, brandy-infused injera, topped with peanuts and chocolate sauce. “Ethiopians don’t usually have sweet tooths, but this holiday season, I just felt like we should," the pioneering Hareg admitted. If you're having holiday withdrawals, celebrate Ethiopian traditions, and un-traditions, today.
Chez Hareg
Address: 1915 9th Street NW, Washington DC 20001
Photograph courtesy of Matthew Worden
About the author: Erin Zimmer, Serious Eats's Washington, D.C., correspondent, is a just-graduated Georgetown gal following her nose about town as Washingtonian magazine's Dining intern and Best Bites blogger. She got her start as the Hoya campus paper's food columnist, and since entering "real person-hood" has ached for her dining hall's omelet station.
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4 Comments:
Funny, I just made Ethiopian last night... it is so easy around here (I live in Arlington) to find good quality ingredients if you want to give it a try. I love making it, but we do go out to eat in the U street corridior... my man's favorite is the raw special Kitfo at Etete. I am going to have to check that bakery out.
VioletHeather at 4:54PM on 01/07/08
After baking one of Dorie Greenspan's recipes for spicy applesauce bars as a present, I learned the hard way that Ethiopian Christians fast until the day they celebrate Christmas which is January 8 this year, I believe--after the 12th day (Epiphany) of Christmas for the non-Orthodox. No eggs. No dairy. It sounds as if the first of these two diaspora-creatiions conforms to dietary restrictions, the second, well, it's sort of like frying latkes in bacon fat, and may signal a loosening of tradition unless it's geared primarily to Western customers.
Eliz. at 5:17PM on 01/07/08
Oh man, VioletHeather, Robyn and I just had that exact dish when she was in town a couple weekends ago!
Totally agreed about the markets, there are so many with quality Ethiopian spices and dried goods. I like Habesha Market at 1919 9th Street, NW. What's your favorite?
Erin Zimmer at 5:52PM on 01/07/08
one of the things i miss most about madison wi since my move to greensboro nc is my favorite ethiopian restaurant – buraka. it seems that there are no ethiopian eateries left in the nc. both of the places in chapel hill and durham closed and i can’t find mention of any others, anywhere. i am simply drooling with food lust and envy over all the options in dc. 5 hours is a bit of drive for lunch and i haven't been brave enough to try and make any of the dishes myself... yet...
samedog at 11:38AM on 01/08/08