What Is Awaze? The Ethiopian Chilli Paste Explained

Set out a platter of grilled meat and injera in an Ethiopian home and a dish of awaze is never far away, glowing red at the edge of the plate and daring you to reach for it. It is the taste of shared meals, of a table crowded with family, of that first hot, aromatic bite that makes everyone reach for water and then reach straight back for more.

So much of that memory lives in the heat. A single spoonful carries the whole berbere cupboard and a way of eating that is generous and communal by nature. Far from home, opening a jar of awaze can bring the noise and warmth of that table back in an instant, and sharing it with someone new is a small, spicy way of passing a piece of Ethiopia and Eritrea across the plate.

What Awaze Actually Is

Awaze is the deep red, fiery chilli paste that sits alongside so many Ethiopian and Eritrean meals. At its simplest it is the berbere spice blend loosened into a smooth, spoonable paste with a little liquid, and it is meant for dipping rather than for cooking into a stew. Where berbere is a dry blend of ground spices, awaze is what happens when you wake that blend up with moisture and turn it into a sauce you can scoop onto a bite of meat. It is properly hot, so a small amount goes a long way, and it carries all the warm, complex aroma of the berbere it is built on.

What Is Awaze Made Of

The heart of awaze is berbere, the Ethiopian and Eritrean spice blend led by dried red chillies and rounded out with garlic, ginger, fenugreek, korarima and other warm spices. To turn that dry blend into a paste, cooks stir in a liquid until it reaches a smooth, dipping consistency. Plain water is common, oil gives a richer, glossier paste, and many households add a splash of tej, the Ethiopian honey wine, or another wine, which brings a gentle sweetness that softens the heat. Some versions also work in a little garlic, onion or a squeeze of lemon. The result is a smooth, spicy, deep red sauce whose exact make up shifts from one cook and one region to the next.

How Awaze Is Used in Ethiopian Cooking

Awaze is a condiment first and foremost, set out at the table as a spicy dipping sauce rather than simmered into the food. Its classic partner is kitfo, the dish of finely minced raw or lightly cooked beef, where a dab of awaze adds heat and depth to each bite. It is just as at home with tibs, the quick fried or grilled meat, and with grilled fish, boiled eggs and roasted meats of all kinds, usually scooped up together with a piece of injera, the tangy fermented flatbread. Because it is served on the side, everyone can take as little or as much fire as they like. To see where it sits in the wider spread, our guide to Ethiopian food shows how these dishes and sauces come together on one shared platter.

Where to Buy Awaze in the UK

In the UK, awaze is sold ready made in jars and tubs by Ethiopian and Eritrean grocers and many African food shops, which saves you mixing your own. It is usually found near other Ethiopian pastes and spice blends, and it keeps well once opened if you store it chilled. If you would rather make it fresh, the same shops sell the berbere you need, which can be hard to track down in an ordinary supermarket, along with tej or wine if you want that touch of sweetness. You can find African food stores near you that stock awaze and berbere, and the staff can point you to the brand they favour. Whether you buy it ready made or stir up a batch at home, awaze is the quickest way to add real Ethiopian heat to a plate.