Somali Anjero

Somalis have their version of Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! Only it’s not a nursery rhyme, it’s not about buns, and it’s not about something that you give to your daughters or sons. It’s a street cry, it’s about anjero, and you give it to the lion in the house. That lion of course is the husband who enjoys a privileged status in the Somali patriarchal household. The street cry echoes across neighbourhoods in Somali towns and goes like this:

That cry was used by street vendors selling anjero very early in the morning before people went to work and schoolchildren left for school. Most Somalis prepare the anjero themselves, but it needs to be prepared the night before using a starter that was left from the previous morning’s anjero batter. If they use up all the batter, they would borrow some from the neighbours. If for some reason it is not available, then the anjero lady would come to the rescue early in the morning.

Every night, before the cities and towns of Somalia go to sleep, you will hear rhythmic sounds of slapping, the sound of mixing the anjero batter. It is a comforting and reassuring sound that lulls you to sleep, knowing that tomorrow’s meal is being prepared. This rhythmic sound together with the anjero street cry that echoes early in the morning, punctuate the urban soundscape of Somalia.

So what exactly is anjero? Most people would know its older sibling, the Ethiopian injera. It is a fermented, crepe-like pan bread that looks like a thin pancake. The Somali anjero has its own character and is different from the Ethiopian injera. It is much less sour, it is smaller in size, and it doesn’t contain teff flour. The traditional Ethiopian injera is usually fermented for a couple of days, whereas the Somali anjero is fermented just overnight.

Anjero is a staple food in Somalia and it’s the most common breakfast food. Everyone would eat an average of three anjeros with a cup of tea. The anjero would be sprinkled with some sugar and drizzled with a little sesame oil or melted ghee. For those who can afford it, the anjero is served with liver and onions, with suqaar (small pieces of beef), or with oodkac (tiny pieces of jerky-style beef). Occasionally anjero is eaten during lunch. It is served with a tomato-based stew or with a goat and vegetable stew.

Anjero was traditionally made of maize, flour, and water. Different types of flour were used; the most common being wheat flour, sorghum flour, and corn flour. The maize was ground finely and then made into a paste. This was then added to the flour and water and was left to ferment overnight. When the anjero was cooked in the morning, some of the fermented batter was left for preparing the next day’s anjero.

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