Ethiopian For Everyone

Shirowhat is a proudly Ethiopian owned company dedicated to introducing Ethiopian food to as many people as possible. Authentic Ethiopian food either takes hours of simmering and preparation, going out to eat, or visiting Ethiopia. So to make things easier, we made Shirowhat, an Ethiopian chickpea stew that’s seasoned with berbere, a fiery and magically delicious Ethiopian spice blend that turns shirowot into shirowow!

A Taste of My Home

About our Founder and Chief Shiro Officer, Miriam Anulo
I am from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and immigrated to the United States at 18 to attend college in Northern California. I’m now an ICU Nurse in San Francisco, working on the front-lines during the pandemic. I miss my home country for many reasons, but particularly, I miss the food. Making Ethiopian food is a labor of love, and nobody embodied that love more than my mother, Meaza, who would individually scrutinize every chili before allowing it to go in the spice mix to make her magical berbere.

In Ethiopia, food is always shared with friends, family, and strangers, no matter how scarce your resources. And Shirowot is the ultimate unifier, a favorite food of the rich and the poor.

With Shirowhat, I want to spread the Ethiopian spirit of generosity. There’s a saying in Amharic (Ethiopia’s national language) “ke fitfitu fitu” which translates to “a happy face is most important.” Meaning, even if you have nothing to offer, if you do so with a smile and genuineness, that’s what matters most. I hope you enjoy Shirowhat, and most importantly, share it with someone else with a smile.

Berbere is Our Secret Ingredient, So Please Don’t Tell Anyone

Berbere is a central part of Ethiopian food. It’s a fiery hot spice blend that’s absolutely bursting with flavor. Every Ethiopian household has their own family recipe for berbere. Ours has been perfected for generations and is a cherished family secret. It gives Shirowhat it’s spicy, distinctive flavor that turns chickpeas into something incredible.