Addis Ababa wheat borde
A thick, faintly fizzy Ethiopian cereal drink in which a wheat dough is fermented, roasted dark, then fermented a second time with barley malt into a drinkable slurry.
Modern adaptation
Kita (kitcha)
kitcha · kicha
An unleavened Ethiopian and Eritrean wheat flatbread, rolled thin and cooked in clarified butter.
A quick flatbread
Kita or kitcha is an unleavened wheat flatbread associated with Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Ethiopian training module describes tearing cooked kita for chechebsa; this page records the bread itself using a clarified-butter pan method.
Sources for this section
History
Kita is documented in Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking; its first attestation is not established.
Ingredients
Yield 4 flatbreads · Scaling: source batch only
Plain wheat flour
300 g
SiftedWarm water
250 mL
At 36°C; the source allows more as neededSalt
1.2 mL¼ tsp as recorded
Clarified butter
30 mL2 tbsp as recorded
Divided among four breadsMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Contains wheat and milk (clarified butter).
Do not taste raw dough; raw flour can contain harmful germs. Wash hands and surfaces after handling it.
Use care with the hot pan and fat.
- Mix the sifted flour and salt. Add the warm water gradually and knead to a uniform, elastic dough.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions. Roll each into a round no more than 3–4 mm thick.
- Heat a crêpe pan over high heat and add ½ tablespoon clarified butter. Place one round in the pan, reduce to medium heat and prick it across the surface with a fork.
- Cook on both sides until golden and crisp with some brown spots. Add another ½ tablespoon clarified butter before each remaining bread. Serve hot.
Conditions
Yield4 flatbreads
Places
Ethiopia
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe source identifies Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines; no precise birthplace is established.
Eritrea
Documented preparation · Country evidenceThe recipe is associated with Eritrean cuisine as well.
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Sources
196 flavorsInspiration · Method · Geography
KitchaFour-bread wheat and clarified butter formula, rolling and pan cooking; Ethiopian and Eritrean associations.
Cited in: A quick flatbread
Ministry of Labor and SkillContext
Preparing Ethiopian Cultural Meat DishEthiopian kita as a flatbread used in chechebsa.
Cited in: A quick flatbread