Tena'adam

Tena'adam is a spice from classical Ethiopian cuisine, and one of the ingredients of an authentic berbere.  The leaves of the winter rue have been used against poisonous snake bites since Roman times.

Unfortunately sold out.  Not yet known when new stock will arrive.

T'ēna ādami ጤና አዳም is the Amharic name for the leaves and fruits of the winter rue or Ethiopian rue, also spelled Tena'adam or Tenaadam. Tena'adam means 'the health of Adam' and is illustrative of the plant's traditional use as a medicine.

The leaves, like the berries, are among the nine essential spices of Ethiopian cuisine. These are: korarima, a type of cardamom, ginger (zinjibel), fenugreek (abish), turmeric (ird), Ethiopian thyme (tosegn), cumin (tikur azmud), cloves (krenfud), black pepper (kundo berbere) and this tena'adam.

The winter rue or Ruta chalepensis is a yellow-flowering plant from the rue family, which also includes citrus fruits and Szechuan peppers. The generic name ruta refers to the rutin in the plant sap, a bitter substance. It is a flavonoid that also occurs in citrus fruits (especially in the peel and seeds), in rhubarb, in tea and in onions, and in medication to relax the blood vessels.

In antiquity, rue was primarily a medicinal plant, but around the beginning of our era Apicius already describes its use in recipes for gravies, and sauces for hare, fish and birds. Abu Muhammad al-Muthaffar ibn Nasr ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq, author of the earliest known Arabic cookbook Kitāb al-Ṭabīḫ (Book of Recipes) from the tenth century, also used it as a seasoning.

The leaves are popular in bitters and liqueurs, such as in Croatia in raki, and in northern Italy in grappa (alla ruta). The leaves form with the leaves of the coffee plant (Ethiopia is a coffee country par excellence) 'kutti', coffee leaf tea, a name of Indian origin. Kutti-kal is the name that fundamentalist Gandhians gave to coffee, more addictive than beer or wine. It means 'junior alcohol'.

The berries are used, just like the leaves, in the preparation of berbere, the famous Ethiopian spice mixture, in which, since the discovery of South America and the introduction of chili peppers, these have come to dominate. Before that, the pungency of berbere was the sum of pungent ingredients, including the fruit of the winter rue.

Smell and taste

Some of the fragrances and flavors (essential oils) in tena'adam:

• 2-undecanenone, eucalyptus
  
• 2-heptanol acetate, grassy, ​​citrus
• ethyl butanoate, the aromas of pineapple, cognac
• α-pinene, the aroma of woody pine scent, as in cumin, pine cone, juniper berry and hemp,
• 2-nonanone, cheesy and waxy and sweet, like coconut
• nonen-1-yl acetate, tropical fruits: kiwi, honeydew melon, pear
• E,E-farnesal, smells like flowers and mint

Usage

The fruit, a seed capsule with four or five lobes, contains about ten edible seeds. The fruit is ground whole for use, and used as a spice or as a rub.

Tena'adam is unlike any other spice. It has a complex aroma that is reminiscent of passion fruit and tropical fruit, which is why the fruits are also called lots of passion or passion berries are mentioned.Passionberry is also the name of the Australian bush tomato, hence our preference for the Ethiopian name, which also does justice to the country of origin.

Tena'adam is delicious in combination with shrimp, chanterelles, asparagus, boiled fish and poultry (and the accompanying creamy sauce), fried fish, game (hare, deer or wild boar) and poultry, grilled vegetables and fruits such as pear and mango, and vanilla ice cream.

Features:

• 100% berries of the Ruta chalepensis
• origin: ethiopia

Assortment

• available in glass and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
• larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

• The jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper
• For an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the gift packaging section

Save:

• keep your tena'adam in a closed container
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• at least good until august 2025 (08/25)
• This expiration date is an indication

Batch number

The batch number helps us trace which supply an item originates from. It is stated on the packing slip and the invoice

Pregnancy (precaution)

Since ancient times, rue has been used to induce menstruation during pregnancy. And it is still used today. Hence the advice not to use rue when you are pregnant, and certainly not in high concentrations. The same applies to consuming the leaves.