Diet
The Ethiopian diet includes lamb, goat, and fowl. Ethiopians do not usually eat pork, turkey, or ham. Common foods include injera, a fermented bread made of teff flour, and wat, a spicy stew made with beef or chicken. Strict religious dietary and fasting customs, especially for Muslims, also affect the menu. For the many people who have limited access to food, a daily diet consists of grains and relief supplies.
Mealtime
Amhara hosts take pride in offering guests the best meal they are capable of providing, whether at a public restaurant or in the home. Visitors are often given more food than they are able to eat. Leaving some food on the plate is polite because it indicates the host’s ability to more than adequately provide for guests. As is the custom in the Semitic world, food is eaten with the fingers of the right hand (never the left).