Injera, also known as taita (Amharic: እንጀራ, romanized: ənǧära, [ɨnd͡ʒəra]; Tigrinya: ጣይታ, romanized: ṭayta; Oromo: buddeena), is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara society, like bread or rice elsewhere, and is usually stored in the mesob.
Terminology The word injera is from Amharic. It is also spelled enjera, ingera, or aenjera.
Preparation
Ingredients
Injera is usually made of teff, a cereal crop that originated in Ethiopia and is mostly consumed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Teff is sifted and milled into a fine flour. It is kneaded with water into a dough, usually by hand. The ratio of flour to water ranges from equal parts to two-thirds. The ingredients are kneaded in a container called a bohaka to form a watery dough. Teff is the preferred grain for making injera, because of its sensory attributes (color and flavor) as well as its long shelf life. Teff seeds are graded according to color, used to make different kinds of injera: nech (white), quey (red), and sergegna (mixed). The primary use of teff is injera. Injera is made with a variety of different grains, including barley, finger millet, sorghum, wheat, maize, and rice, which may or may not be mixed with teff. The grains are milled into flour, often with disc mills. The proportions of grains vary based on local and family traditions as well as financial considerations. In the lowlands, injera is often made with sorghum, and in the highlands, it is more commonly made with barley. Rice flour is sometimes used in commercially produced injera as it is cheaper and more common than teff. Among the Ethiopian diaspora, injera is made of rice flour or a mix of rice and wheat flour. As teff is expensive, pure teff injera is a symbol of wealth. White-grained teff is more expensive to buy and thus symbolizes a higher status than its cheaper counterpart, red-grained teff. When blending teff with other flours, high- and middle-income Ethiopians prefer rice flour as it produces a similar white color. Low-income Ethiopians are more likely to use sorghum or maize. Use of various flours fluctuates based on the price relative to teff. Commercial injera producers mix teff with other flours depending on pricing as well as the preferences of consumers of different origins. Flour mixing increased between 1991 and 2001, according to a nationwide survey of retailers. Spices such as coriander or fenugreek are sometimes added to injera for flavor. Legumes such as chickpeas, fava beans, and lentils can be mixed into teff injera to increase protein.
Fermentation
The dough is fermented by adding a starter known as ersho, a clear, yellow liquid that accumulates on the surface of fermenting teff flour batter and is collected from previous fermentations. It contains about 96% water, along with nutrients and microbes that cause fermentation. The amount of ersho may be about 16% of the flour. Even without ersho, fermentation occurs from the contact between flour and water. Commercial yeast is less commonly used, which is faster but results in inoptimal flavor and texture. The dough undergoes a primary fermentation for 24 to 72 hours. The time depends on the microbial content—which is impacted by the dough's pH and amount of damaged starch—as well as the amount of ersho, altitude, temperature, type of container, and cleanliness. During the primary fermentation, the level of gas formation decreases for about 31 hours, the volume increases for about 48 hours, and acidity increases to a pH below 5.8. The first 18–24 hours involves the highest expansion of the dough as gases rapidly form. Liquids and solids separate, with a yellow liquid surfacing after 30–33 hours of fermentation, which is discarded. After the primary fermentation, a portion of the dough is added to water and brought to a boil, forming a pregelatinized starch product known as absit, which functions as a dough binder. About 10% of the dough may be used for absit, and it is mixed with about 3 times as much water, though the amount varies. Once the absit is cooled to about 46°C (46 °C (115 °F)), it is added back to the dough. Once absit is added, the dough undergoes a secondary fermentation for 30–120 minutes. This stage involves the formation of gas bubbles, making the bread puffy. Dough is saved for ersho at the end of the secondary fermentation, and the residue is left in the container. The fermentation of injera is caused by yeast and lactic acid bacteria, which increase thousandfold during 48 hours of fermentation. At least 68 species of yeasts have been identified in injera—including the genera Saccharomyces, Pichia, and Candida—as well as at least 107 species of lactic acid bacteria—including the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Streptococcus. The fermentation gives injera a sour taste. Variations of injera are based on the fermentation time before creating the absit:
If the dough is fermented for a moderate amount of time, it is smooth and thin. This is the most popular type. If the dough is fermented for less time—12–24 hours—it results in a thick injera that is sweet and dark red on the bottom. This is known in Amharic and Oromo as aflegna or in Tigrinya as bekuo. If the dough is fermented longer, the injera is very sour, due to the increased amount of lactic acid bacteria, and is considered less nutritious. This is known in Amharic and Tigrinya as komtata injera and in Oromo as qomxoxaa caabitaa. It sometimes has additional flour and water added after the fermentation. Injera made without absit is soft and thin and does not have eyes.
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