Denver is mad for Ethiopian food, and we know this by the 20 or so metro area restaurants that focus on the East African cuisine. So as we prepare for the first-ever Taste of Ethiopia event, taking over Aurora’s Laredo Elementary School from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, here’s a crash course on the basics of Ethiopian food.

“It’s finger food, so there are no utensils,” reminded event organizer Nebiyu Asfaw.

Injera: the flat bread you use to scoop up the dishes.

Meser wott: a lentil dish flavored with onions, garlic and ginger.

Beef wott: a beef stew.

The injera is often served on the bottom of the plate, “and you scoop some of the stew and make a mini-burrito with your hand,” Asfaw directed.

And if “wott” is starting to sound familiar …

“Wott — you hear that after a lot of the dishes,” said Asfaw. “It means stew.”

Now that you’re prepared for the food, what about the dance, the culture, the fashion? The organizers have modeled Taste of Ethiopia after Denver’s incredibly popular Greek Festival, so there will be dance performances, fashion shows of traditional clothing, arts and crafts by Ethiopians (and Ethiopian-Americans), vendors and more. Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan will even stop by the free event as the day’s special guest.

“We have a rich culture, and we feel very proud as Americans to be here,” said Asfaw, “but we want to contribute our heritage to the melting pot to make this great country even greater.”

Taste of Ethiopia, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at Laredo Elementary, 1350 Laredo St., Aurora. Free admission, food is extra. Ricardo Baca