{{short description|Ethiopian spice mixture}} thumb|right|upright=1.3|200px|A pile of berbere '''Berbere''' ({{langx|am|በርበሬ}} ''bärbäre'', {{langx|ti|በርበረ}} ''bärbärä'') is a spice mixture whose constituent elements usually include chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, Ethiopian holy basil (besobela) seeds, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek.<ref name="Debrawork">Debrawork Abate (1995 EC) [1993 EC]. የባህላዌ መግቦች አዘገጃጀት [Traditional Food Preparation] (in Amharic) (2nd ed.). Addis Ababa: Mega Asatame Derjet (Mega Publisher Enterprise). pp. 22–23.<!-- Avoiding 'cite book' template due to its complaints about EC dates. --> </ref><ref name="ethnomed">{{Cite web | first=Alevtina | last=Gall |author2=Zerihun Shenkute | title=Ethiopian Traditional and Herbal Medications and their Interactions with Conventional Drugs| url=http://ethnomed.org/clinical/pharmacy/ethiopian-herb-drug-interactions | work=EthnoMed |publisher=University of Washington | date=November 3, 2009 | access-date=January 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | first=Gernot | last=Katzer | title=Ajwain (Trachyspermum copticum [L.] Link) | url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Trac_cop.html | date=July 20, 2010 | access-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Gebreyesus Koehler 2018 p. 77">{{cite book | last1=Gebreyesus | first1=Y. | last2=Koehler | first2=J. | title=Ethiopia: Recipes and traditions from the horn of Africa | publisher=Octopus | year=2018 | isbn=978-0-85783-562-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HaVbDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT77 | access-date=2021-11-11 | page=77}}</ref><ref name="Zewge Mekonnen 2015 p. 191">{{cite book | last1=Zewge | first1=K. | last2=Mekonnen | first2=M. | title=Ethiopian Cookbook: Pinnacle of Traditional Cuisine | publisher=Xlibris US | year=2015 | isbn=978-1-5035-9041-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A8pdCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT191 | access-date=2021-11-11 | page=191}}</ref> It is a key ingredient in the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Berbere also refers to chili pepper itself.<ref name="Debrawork" />
Berbere sometimes encompasses herbs and spices that are less well known internationally. These include both cultivated plants and those that grow wild in Ethiopia, such as korarima (''Aframomum corrorima'').<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ur169.ird.fr/IMG/pdf/UrbanaEthiopie_anglais.pdf | title = Natural patrimony and local communities in ethiopia: geographical advantages and limitations of a system of indications | author = Bernard Roussel and François Verdeaux | work = 29th Annual Spring Symposium of Centre for African Studies | date = April 6–10, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126164622/http://www.ur169.ird.fr/IMG/pdf/UrbanaEthiopie_anglais.pdf|archive-date=2006-11-26|quote=This Zingiberaceae, ''Aframomum corrorima'' (Braun) Jansen, is gathered in forests, and also grown in gardens. It is a basic spice in Ethiopia, used to flavor coffee and as an ingredient in various widely used condiments (berbere, mitmita, awaze, among others).}}</ref>
==See also== * Mitmita, another Ethiopian spice mixture * Awaze, Ethiopian spice paste * Piri piri * List of Ethiopian dishes and foods
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Cookbook|Berbere}} {{Commons category|Berbere}} * [http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/2210/ Berbere recipe from RecipeLand.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070820165835/http://www.ethiopianspices.com/html/products.asp?ItemID=1000 Image of packaged berbere]
{{Herbs and spices}}
Category:Eritrean cuisine Category:Ethiopian cuisine Category:Herb and spice mixtures
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