Fendisha

Ingredients

Popcorn

• 150 gpopping corn
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• or a little niter kibbeh
• salt, to taste

Sometimes added

• a little sugar
• berbere, for a spiced version
• melted butter

To serve

• a wide flat basket, or mesob
• alongside the coffee ceremony

Directions

1. Butter burns readily at popping heat. Use a heavy pot with a tight lid. Add the oil and set it over a medium heat. Add three kernels in as a test.
2. Wait for all three of them to pop. That tells you the oil is hot enough.
3. Take the pot off the heat for a moment. Add the rest of the corn in one layer. Cover it and let it stand for thirty seconds.
4. Return the pot to the heat now. Cooking it takes a few minutes. Keep the lid on it throughout.
5. Shake the pot every few seconds. That stops the popped corn burning below. Take it off the heat immediately. Tip it into the basket or a wide bowl. Leaving it in the hot pot burns the bottom.
6. Shake out the unpopped kernels. Scatter salt over it while still hot. Toss it well to coat it evenly. Serving it is done during the ceremony.
7. Heap it in the middle of a wide basket. Set it where everyone can reach. People take handfuls as they sit.

Technique

• The Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes an hour or more, and popcorn is the most common thing served while guests sit through the roasting and brewing.
• The food is heaped in a wide flat woven basket, part of a real Ethiopian basketry tradition, and a large one is called a mesob.
• Listening rather than looking is how to judge when to stop, since taking it off when pops slow to two seconds apart avoids burning the rest.

Substitutions

• Plain oil is what most households use, and a little niter kibbeh gives a richer and more fragrant result.
• Kolo, roasted barley and grains, is the other common thing served at a ceremony.

Variations

• Most fendisha is served entirely plain, which is usual at a ceremony.
• Some households add a little sugar or dust it with berbere.
• Kolo and himbasha bread are served alongside on other occasions.

History

Handed round during the Ethiopian coffee ceremony together with incense, the popcorn scenting the room as the beans roast.

Frequently asked questions

What is Fendisha?

Fendisha is a snack from Ethiopia: popcorn served in a wide basket alongside roasted coffee. Handed round during the Ethiopian coffee ceremony together with incense, the popcorn scenting the room as the beans roast.

How long does Fendisha take to make?

Fendisha takes 5 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Fendisha?

Yes, within limits. Plain oil is what most households use, and a little niter kibbeh gives a richer and more fragrant result. Kolo, roasted barley and grains, is the other common thing served at a ceremony.

What is the most important thing to get right in Fendisha?

Listening rather than looking is how to judge when to stop, since taking it off when pops slow to two seconds apart avoids burning the rest.