
Beyaynetu () is an
Ethiopian
Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...
/
Eritrean dish, often savoured as a hearty meal. It combines
injera
Injera (, ; ; ) is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara community, like br ...
—a sourdough flatbread—with a variety of ingredients, including meat and vegetables. One of the
national dish
A national dish is a culinary Dish (food), dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
* It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs ...
es of Ethiopia, it reflects the diverse flavours of the country's
cuisine
A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...
.
The term ''bäyaynätu'' () in
Amharic
Amharic is an Ethio-Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amhara people, and also serves as a lingua franca for all other metropolitan populati ...
can be translated as "various" or "assorted", indicating the wide range of ingredients that make up this dish.
Varieties
* Vegetarian: The vegetable-only style is known as ''ʾätkəlt bäyaynätu'' () or ''yetsom beyaynetu'' ().
Here, ''ʾätkəlt'' refers to "plants" or "vegetables", and ''yetsom'' signifies "
fasting
Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...
", denoting the period when members of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church () is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Christian churches in Africa originating before European colonization of the continent, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates bac ...
abstain from consuming meat and dairy products for several weeks. The prefix ''yä'' functions as a genitive marker, combined with ''tsom'' ("fasting") to denote "of fasting".
* Non-vegetarian: When meat is included, it goes by names such as ''bäyaynätu bäsga'' () or ''yäfsək bäyaynätu'' (). In this context, ''bä'' means "with", and ''səga'' stands for "meat". ''Yäfsək'' is associated with the non-fasting period ''fsək'' in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
See also
*
Banchan
''Banchan'' ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. ''Banchan'' are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as ''galbi'' or ''bulg ...
*
Kamayan
Kamayan is a Filipino cultural term for the various occasions or contexts in which pagkakamay ( Tagalog: " atingwith the hands") is practiced, Doreen G. Fernandez, “Food and the Filipino,” in Philippine World-View, Virgilio G. Enriquez ...
*
Meze
''Meze'' (also spelled ''mezze'' or ''mezé'') (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Eastern Mediterranean cuisines. It is similar to Spanish cuisine, Spanish tapas and Italian cuisine, Italian Antipasto, antipasti. A ''me ...
*
Smorgasbord
Smorgasbord or Smörgåsbord (, ) is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes. It assumed its present form in the 19th century, following old traditions.
Smörgåsbord became known in the US ...
*
Tapas
Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...
*
Thali
Thali (meaning "plate" or "tray") or Bhojanam (meaning "full meal") is a round Platter (dishware), platter used to serve food in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a sel ...
References
{{Eritrea-stub
Ethiopian cuisine
Eritrean cuisine
Serving and dining
Lenten foods