Wat

Wat is the national dish of Ethiopia (and also popular in Eritrea, where it's known as tsebhi), a spicy stew made with berbere - a spice blend usually consisting of very hot chili peppers, garlic, ginger, rue, basil, ajwain, nigella, and fenugreek, all of them sold in markets and ground together in a mortar using a pestle. It is the most popular dish in these two countries and can be made with beef, chicken, lamb, lentils, vegetables, or fish. Pork is never used due to religious reasons. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, nothing gets wasted, so every possible cut of meat is used in the wats, either fresh or dried, from fine cuts to organs. In the past, women were judged on the basis of their wat cooking skills, and those who made the best ones were the most respected by their neighbors and husbands. Wat begins with onions, used for sweetening and thickening the stew, followed by berbere, water, tomato sauce, and meat or vegetables, slowly cooked to perfection.