Anyone who has enjoyed a meal at an Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurant knows that soft, springy injera, a fermented sourdough flatbread, is the centre of the meal. Injera is made with teff, a tiny, highly nutritious and gluten-free grain that flourishes in the highlands of Ethiopia. More than just a bread, injera is also an eating utensil; in Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine it is used to scoop up the meat and vegetable stews it is served with. A large round injera lines the tray on which the stews are served, soaking up their juices as the meal progresses. When this edible tablecloth is eaten, the meal is officially over, but leftover injera is often incorporated into a variety of breakfast dishes. A versatile grain, it is also used in baking, porridges, and also to brew beer and other beverages.

In this fun, hands-on workshop Asmait Merhatsion will introduce participants to the process of making injera from scratch, starting with preparing the batter using a special sourdough starter to start the fermentation that gives it its airy, bubbly texture, and slightly tangy taste. Everyone will get a chance to make their own injera to take home on the mogogo, a traditional round griddle. Participants will also learn how to make shiro, a thick paste of chickpea flour cooked with a blend of spices, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato. A light meal will be served with fresh injera along with shiro and another vegetarian stew for everyone to share. We will wrap up the class with a traditional Ethiopian coffee and a tasty teff cookie. Participants will leave with a small package of teff and sourdough starter to take home, as well as an opportunity to purchase additional homemade Eritrean products prepare by the chef.
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$79 + HST

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Asmait Merhatsion was born in Eritrea, and moved to Canada with her family from Israel in 2022. She started to cook at home at a young age as was typical for girls in her community. When she lived in Israel, a friend invited Asmait to start teaching cooking workshops with her. From then on she began to work with people from all over the world, making dishes together every weekend as an extra income source for her family. Here in Canada, she graduated from Newcomer Kitchen’s food entrepreneurship program, and now hopes to continue to pursue her favourite thing — cooking — as a way to promote her culture and to start her own business.