Berbere Ethiopian Seasoning

If you like food genuinely spicy, use Berbere anywhere you'd normally reach for curry powder. It works well on beef, vegetables, tofu, duck, and lentils.

To make a paste: mix equal parts Berbere, oil, and hot water, and use it as a base for sauces.

Berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend built on Hungarian sweet paprika, cayenne, roasted garlic, allspice, ginger, and cardamom, the paprika and cayenne giving it real heat while the allspice and cardamom round it out with warmth. Our version is less complex than a traditional, hand-blended Ethiopian Berbere, which can include a dozen or more spices, but it still packs a spicy, flavorful punch true to the original.

Ethiopian folklore holds that the hotter and more delicious a woman's Berbere blend was, the more highly regarded she was as a potential wife, a tradition that speaks to just how central this spice is to the cuisine.

Berbere Ethiopian Seasoning Q&A

What is Berbere seasoning?

Berbere is a paprika-based Ethiopian spice blend that's hot and spicy thanks to cayenne and other chiles, rounded out with warm spices like allspice, ginger, and cardamom.

How do you use Berbere seasoning?

Use it to make doro wat, the traditional Ethiopian stew of spiced chicken. It's also excellent with lentils, vegetables, and most other meats.

How spicy is Berbere seasoning?

It's genuinely hot, medium-hot heat from cayenne, closer to a curry powder in intensity than a mild seasoning blend. If you enjoy spicy food, it's a good one to reach for regularly rather than just for special dishes.