Genfo (Barley Porridge with Spiced Butter)

Genfo is the sturdy breakfast of the Ethiopian highlands — a dense, polenta-like porridge of barley flour cooked until it stands in a proud mound on the platter. A deep well is pressed into the center and filled with melted niter kibbeh and a spoonful of berbere, so every pinch of porridge can be dipped in spiced butter. It is also the traditional food offered to new mothers, a testament to how nourishing Ethiopians consider it.

A mountain of porridge with a lake of spiced butter

The porridge is thick, grainy, and satisfyingly plain on its own, which is exactly why the butter works: the rich, cardamom-scented pool melts into each ball you pinch, while the berbere adds a slow-building warmth. Eat it with your fingers, the traditional way, rolling each piece before dipping. Served with a spoonful of ayib or a drizzle of honey, genfo is breakfast built to carry you through a cold highland morning.

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