injera

Ever had injera?  Well, if you’re reading this from Ethiopia, then the answer is “yes”.  But if you’re anywhere else in the world, you might not have had injera.  So what is it?

Wikipedia defines injera as “a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture traditionally made out of teff flour.”  Teff is unique itself, almost exclusively found growing in the fields of Ethiopia.  So this is a very Ethiopian food.  The injera is used as an eating utensil, essentially sopping up the delicious stews (or “wots”) that make up Ethiopian cuisine.  A piece of injera is typically around 15 inches in diameter.

Of course our hospital goes through a lot of injera.  It is served with every meal, and we serve our patients 3 meals a day.  So, how much injera do we go through then?  About 400 per day, or 3,000 per week.  In one year, at Soddo Christian Hospital we consume over 150,000 giant pieces of injera!

Our kitchen staff hard at work preparing the meals for the patients.
Our kitchen staff hard at work preparing the meals for the patients.