🇹 Ethiopian · Street Food & Snacks
🍬 Ethiopian Sesame Brittle
ሰሊጥ ቅቤ — Selit Brittle
Ethiopian Sesame Brittle — sesame seeds caramelised in honey and set into thin, crispy sheets. The Ethiopian sweet street candy — sold at every market in thin slabs, an ancient confection made from Ethiopia's two most precious produce: sesame and honey.
Ethiopian sesame brittle is the oldest candy in Ethiopia — sesame has been cultivated in Ethiopia for thousands of years and honey is one of the country's most important products. Together they produce a confection of remarkable simplicity and satisfaction.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy pan, Baking sheet lined with parchment
- 1 cup white sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
Optional: ¼ tsp ground cardamom
Method
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat — 3 minutes until golden.
- Add honey, sugar, and salt. Stir continuously.
- Cook over medium heat 5—6 minutes until the mixture turns deep golden.
- It should reach the hard crack stage (150°C).
- Quickly pour onto lined baking sheet.
- Spread thin with an oiled spatula.
- Cool 10 minutes until completely hard.
- Break into pieces.
Chef Tips
- Speed is essential at the pouring stage — the brittle sets quickly.
- The hard crack stage (150°C) is where the sugar becomes brittle when cooled.
- Oil your spatula before spreading — the mixture sticks aggressively.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not reaching hard crack temperature — sticky rather than brittle.
- Slow pouring — sets before spreading.
The Science
At 150°C (hard crack stage), virtually all the water has evaporated from the sugar mixture and the sucrose has undergone significant inversion. When cooled, this low-water sugar matrix solidifies into an amorphous glass — the brittle snap comes from the absence of water crystalline structure.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Sesame is very high in calcium and zinc.
- Honey provides antioxidants.
- High in healthy fats from sesame.
Cultural Note
Ethiopian sesame brittle is the market sweet that connects present-day Ethiopia to its ancient past — sesame cultivation in Ethiopia predates recorded history, and the combination of sesame and honey has been a sweet for millennia. Buying a piece from a market vendor wrapping it in newsprint is a sensory experience that connects to centuries of Ethiopian market life.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Airtight container — 2 weeks.
Reheating: Not applicable.
Serve with: As a market sweet, With coffee, As a celebration candy