Comparative Analysis of Fermented Flatbreads in the Horn of Africa and the Southern Arabian Peninsula: A Picture of Biocultural Diversity

Regular social, economic and agricultural interactions occurred between the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabian Peninsula for millennia, raising questions about potential geo-culinary exchanges, including of the little-studied fermented flatbreads produced in these areas. A comparative analysis of Somali laxoox/canjeero, Ethiopian injera, Sudanese kisra and Yemeni/Saudi lahoh was conducted by combining a literature review and consultations with 17 local experts, then processing the data in a hierarchical cluster analysis to quantify “biocultural” diversity. In an interdisciplinary approach, technical aspects (bread appearance, ingredients, and production stages) and cultural characteristics (consumption patterns and social function) were considered to identify key descriptors of the breads. A dendrogram generated through cluster analysis of a binary (0/1) matrix, structured with the key descriptors, showed that each bread has a distinct biocultural identity, and enabled the quantification of their similarities. Somali laxoox/canjeero and Yemeni/Saudi lahoh had a 64% similarity to each other (Jaccard index); each had a 53% similarity to Ethiopian injera; while all of them were 41% similar to Sudanese kisra. Hierarchical cluster analysis, applied for the first time to flatbreads, contributes to their comprehensive characterization and comparison in this unique geographic region and lays the foundations for policies to protect their identity and quality.