Amid the high-falutin’ foodie chatter and the seemingly aggressive PR campaigns waged by other cuisines across the country — witness the ubiquitous rice-paper roll — it’s easy for certain cuisines fall between the cracks. I’m here today to dig out and brush the lint off a favourite cuisine of mine, that of East Africa. Increasing numbers of migrants to this country, particularly around Melbourne’s western suburbs, have led to a proliferation of African restaurants offering something very tasty and very different.

There are few things to know before entering your local east African restaurant. The first is that it comprises part of the family of cuisines that involve eating with one’s hands. This food don’t play: you will get greasy hands, coloured with the variety of sauces and spices used in the dish. It’s kinda visceral and real, in a very safe, white person kinda way, and maybe that’s why I’m a fan.

Second, you will be using a kind of spongy flatbread called injera to mop up, grab and dunk most of your food. By itself, it’s an acquired taste — as if a sponge cake and sourdough had an ill-considered tryst behind a bar — yet when used as a sponge in conjunction with the rich, hearty stews that make up this style of food, it transcends into a wonderful, savoury delight, adding a slight tang to whatever you’re eating. You’ll go through a lot during the course of a meal. If you’re anything like me, you may start sourcing it from local bakeries and eating it at home.

Finally, the rich stews and casseroles — called wot — that comprise much of eastern African food are spicy in a way quite unlike that of Indian cuisine. It’s a more upfront, muscular spicy hit that isn’t quite as subtle as that which you may have experienced before. It’s unrefined, there’s a whole heap of chili and garlic thrown in the mix, but that’s what gives the food its character. It is homey and uncomplicated. It also goes down extremely well with an African beer such as Dashen or Golden Star.

Since an almost religious experience involving the raw spiced mince dish kitfo and a chilly bottle of Dashen beer, I’ve spent the past few months on an odyssey through the African restaurants of Melbourne. I’ve been through a lot of injera and for those dipping their toe into this world, I recommend going with Dinknesh Lucy (227 Barkly Street, Footscray) and Adulis (68 Hopkins Street, Footscray). They have friendly, welcoming staff who will go out of their way to ensure your introduction to this cuisine is a pleasant one. But you’ll find restaurants right across the country.

Forgo the pho. Cast aside the aioli. Vinaigrette, at least for this week, is for suckers. Dive headlong into a little something different — work your way through some wot and enjoy some injera.