When we were toddlers, it was natural to eat with our hands…read more
But as soon as we managed to hold a fork and spoon, we were expected to use utensils.
As children and adults, using your hands to eat was frowned upon. Fried chicken and a few other dishes were exceptions.
Although, to be honest, I'm one of the few people in the world who grew up eating fried chicken with a knife and fork.
Let me introduce you to Ethiopian food, where utensils aren't usually used. I guess you could call it a hands on experience.
The best way to experience it in central New Jersey is at Dashen Ethiopian Cuisine in New Brunswick. https://www.dashenethiopiannj.com/
Dashen, managed by a husband and wife team - Alemayehu Hailu and Tsigereda Lemlemayehu, also offers a full bar and a big screen TV for sports events.
It is a delightful place for a special meal. They also do catering.
The meal starts with injera - a spongy, fermented flatbread that is spread over a large serving plate. The other foods are placed on top of this sort of sour dough bread.
All of the dishes - meats and vegetables - are well cooked with fragrant sauces. They are served with a pile of folded injera.
How do you eat it?
You rip off a piece of injera and use it to grab some meats or vegetables or scoop them up. Then you pop it into your mouth. The sourly fermented bread and other dishes make a great combination.
Whether you go for meat or vegetables, the keys here are the spices.
There's a chicken dish called Doro Wot. It is simmered in a special spice sauce with onions, garlic and ginger. And served with a hard boiled egg.
There are dishes of cubed beef and ground beef, and lamb. There's a lamb stew called Yebeg Alicha with onions, garlic, ginger, peppers, turmeric and other spices.
The same spices can be applied to a fish fillet, salmon or shrimp.
But my favorites are the vegetables.
There's Misir Wot, split lentils simmered with special spices, onions, garlic, tomatoes and ginger. Gomen is collard greens with onions, spices, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and jalapenos. Tikal Gomen is cabbage with the same spice combination.
Kik Wot is yellow split peas cooked with garlic, ginger, tomatoes and special spices.
Dinich Alicha looks like a mixed vegetable plate with potatoes, carrots, string beans, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and spices.
The food can be very spicy or quite mild. Talk to your server so you order the dishes that are to your taste.
The best way to eat Ethiopian food is on a combination plate.
Go with a small group of friends. Have a combination plate of meat dishes. Order another combination plate of vegetarian dishes. That will give you eight to 10 different dishes to sample. Different beans and meats and vegetables. There's a variety of textures and flavors.
And eat it slowly. In fact, don't just eat it. Savor it. Really enjoy each delicious taste.
Eating Ethiopian food at Dashen is not just a meal. It's an experience.
You can get takeout or delivery. But it is so much better in the restaurant.
I urge you to get out of your culinary rut and visit Dashen.
Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar
88 Albany Street,
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-249-0494
They are closed Mondays.
