Vegan Ethiopian Couscous with Spiced Vegetables and Berbere

Ethiopian couscous is a modern adaptation of Saharan and Horn of Africa influences, where this type of semolina was traditionally not made as in the Maghreb, but local cereals were used in ritual celebrations.

The expansion of trans-Saharan trade and caravan routes during the Middle Ages introduced couscous to Ethiopia, adapting it to indigenous flavors and customs.

Unlike injera —more representative of Ethiopian cuisine—, this dish became popular among urban communities and in the diaspora as a symbol of cultural fusion and practicality.

In the 70s, during the Derg regime and the exodus of many Ethiopians into exile, couscous became a food of resistance and memory in cities like Washington D.

C.

or Tel Aviv, where the first restaurants mixing local ingredients with Ethiopian traditions emerged.