Food of Eritrea

Eritrean food centers on injera with spicy tsebhi stews, and shares many dishes with Ethiopia, with Italian touches such as pasta and baked dishes in the cities. Berbere, lentils, tomatoes and clarified butter are staples, and coffee is poured with care.

Zigni
National dish

Zigni

Spicy beef stew with berbere and tomato.

Staples

  • teff
  • wheat
  • lentils
  • chickpeas
  • beef
  • chicken
  • lamb

Signature flavors

  • berbere
  • niter kibbeh
  • garlic
  • cardamom
  • chili

Main dishes

Zigni
Zigni

Spicy beef stew with berbere and tomato.

Key ingredients: beef, berbere, onion, tomato
Tsebhi derho

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with chicken, egg, berbere, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: chicken, egg, berbere
Shiro
Shiro

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with chickpea flour, onion, berbere, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: chickpea flour, onion, berbereFull guide →
Alicha

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with vegetables, turmeric, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: vegetables, turmeric
Hamli

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with greens, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: greens
Kitcha fit-fit

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with bread, berbere, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: bread, berbere
Injera
Injera

A traditional dish of Eritrea made with teff, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: teffFull guide →
Pasta al sugo

Pasta with tomato sauce, an Italian-style staple.

Key ingredients: pasta, tomato

Breakfast

Ful
Ful

A traditional breakfast dish of Eritrea made with fava, oil, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: fava, oil
Fatta

A traditional breakfast dish of Eritrea made with bread, yogurt, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: bread, yogurt

Street food

Sambusa
Sambusa

A traditional street snack of Eritrea made with pastry, lentils, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: pastry, lentils
Bomba

A traditional street snack of Eritrea made with flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour

Soups

Shorba

A traditional soup of Eritrea made with lentils, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: lentils

Salads

Timatim

A traditional salad of Eritrea made with tomato, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: tomato, onion

Desserts and sweets

Halwa
Halwa

A traditional sweet treat of Eritrea made with sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: sugarFull guide →
Cake with coffee

A traditional sweet treat of Eritrea made with flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour

Drinks

Eritrean coffee

A traditional drink of Eritrea made with coffee, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: coffee
Spiced tea

A traditional drink of Eritrea made with tea, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: tea

Fruits and produce

Prickly pear
Prickly pear

Prickly pear is a well-loved fruit or crop in Eritrea, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: prickly pear
Orange
Orange

Orange is a well-loved fruit or crop in Eritrea, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: orange
Banana
Banana

Banana is a well-loved fruit or crop in Eritrea, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: bananaFull guide →

Dish guides from Eritrea

Banana
BananaFruits
Halva
HalvaDesserts and sweets
Injera
InjeraBreads
ShiroMain dishes
Explore Eritrea on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Eastern Africa

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Zigni: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Taita and shiro: Temesgen Woldezion; edited by Merhawie Woldezion, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Injera with eight kinds of stew: Artem.G, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Ful medames: Zachbe at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Samosas, snack food at Wikipedia's 16th Birthday celebration in Chittagong (01): Moheen Reeyad, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Orient sweets (special halva) Samarkand, Siyab: Shuhrenataxmedov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Dikenli İncir (Opuntia ficus-indica) Gaziantep Turkey.IMG 1104: YG01, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Oranges - whole-halved-segment: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)