Ethiopian Buticha

The Cultural Story

Buticha is to Ethiopian gatherings what hummus is to Middle Eastern ones: the dip that appears without ceremony, eaten casually with bread or injera before the main event begins. Made from chickpea flour (not whole chickpeas), it is lighter and airier than hummus, with a sharper lemon kick and the fresh bite of raw onion and green chili running through it. It is snacking food, party food, the thing that appears at office gatherings and family picnics because it can be made in twenty minutes and travels well. In Ethiopian Orthodox fasting culture, buticha is especially valued because it provides protein during long stretches when meat and dairy are prohibited. Chickpea flour is naturally high in protein, and the cold preparation — the flour is cooked in water and then cooled rather than baked — means it retains a silkiness that hot dishes do not have. Some families serve buticha as a first course; others keep a bowl in the refrigerator for snacking throughout the day. The secret to good buticha is the lemon. Ethiopian cooking is more restrained with acid than, say, Lebanese cuisine, but buticha is an exception — it needs more lemon than you think. The chickpea flour flavor can be heavy and floury without it. Squeeze, taste, squeeze again. The finished buticha should have a clean, bright quality that makes you reach for another piece of bread before you have finished the first.