Berbere
An Ethiopian and Eritrean chilli-based blend with fenugreek and warm spices, the base of many stews.
Also: berbera, Ethiopian chilli blend, mitmita cousin
Berbere is a deep red spice mix central to Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. Its backbone is dried red chilli, joined by garlic, ginger, fenugreek, korarima (Ethiopian cardamom), black pepper, coriander, ajwain, rue and sometimes nutmeg or cloves, plus salt. The aroma is rich, hot, sweet and a little sour. It is cooked with onion and niter kibbeh, spiced clarified butter, to make wat, the stews eaten on injera flatbread. Families have private recipes and often make the blend in large batches before festivals. A milder, simpler version is called shiro powder, used for chickpea stew.