Kitfo
Ethiopian raw beef dish
Kitfo (Amharic: ክትፎ, IPA: [kɨtfo]) is an Ethiopian traditional dish that originated among the Gurage people. It consists of minced raw beef, marinated in mitmita (a chili-based spice powder) and niter kibbeh (a clarified butter infused with herbs and spices). The word comes from the Ethio-Semitic triconsonantal root k-t-f, meaning "to chop finely; mince".
Kitfo cooked lightly rare is known as kitfo leb leb. Kitfo is often served alongside , or sometimes mixed with , a mild cheese called ayibe or cooked greens known as gomen. In many parts of Ethiopia, kitfo is served with injera, a spongy, absorbent sourdough crêpe-like flatbread made from fermented teff flour; traditional Gurage cuisine replaces this with kocho, a thick flatbread made of the ensete plant. An ensete leaf may be also used as a garnish.
Though not considered a delicacy, kitfo is generally held in high regard. It is served on special occasions such as holidays like Meskel on 27 September, the feast celebrating the Finding of the True Cross.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Kitfo”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Kitfo with Ayibe..JPG by Milo.G, CC BY-SA 4.0
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