Ethiopian Spice Store

Tucked behind large glass doors on Baldwin Street in the main hub of Kensington Market is a room so full of colour and scent you could be picking over wares in a market in Addis Ababa. The colourful handwoven baskets are used as combination plate-table. The rounded out hollow part is covered in enjera and then various Ethiopian dishes are served on top of the flat bread. People sit at these baskets on low lying wooden stools and use their hands to scoop up the food.

Masks, folk art, animal sculptures and basketry take up the entranceway and then once you are down the stairs you have to manoeuvre between bags of bulk food (couscous, beans, licorice root, etc) View this photo and make your way over to a tall shelving unit that has plastic tupperware containers full of blended spices imported from Ethiopia. Turmeric takes on various hues proof of the authenticity of the spices - they are blends so none can be exactly the same. The curries and the chili spice blends are incredible. They add a profound depth of flavour to dishes. I used them all last fall and winter and I went back yesterday to re-stock. View this photo

The Ethiopian Spice Store is located at 160 Baldwin Street in Kensington Market. Go out on a Sunday and enjoy a car free experience.

Comments

[Mats Flemstrom]

Hey,I've got to check this place out. I found the enjera I bought here (on Eglinton) just a tad sour,but that was without any food on it. Thanks for the tip.