Best Egyptian Food -Traditional Dishes don`t miss it !!
if you are going to live in Egypt, have no fear as regards the quality of the meal you will find on the streets of Egypt. There is more to the amazing feeling around Egyptian food than just the elegance of the meals. We are talking about the reassuring feeling and fun-filled experience one gets ami the busy cities in Egypt. So, if you are living in Egypt, you’ve got to treat yourself to Egyptian street food at least once, because this is the food that represents the true taste of Egyptians. It is the one you find many locals eating, so you are assured of quality Egyptian recipes and ingredients anytime anywhere in the country. Egyptian street foods are just so affordable, and you can always get a good value for every single Egyptian pound you spend. There are so many amazing dishes on the streets of Egypt, and their special seasoning and spices will surely melt your taste buds, leaving you asking for more. Whether you are a fan of Farahat or you lean more towards the classy restaurants, here is a list of some Egyptian street food that will, no doubt, leave you craving for more.
Egypt has a long culinary history that dates back to ancient times. It boasts a rich cuisine that gives Traveleaters much to look forward to in Cairo, especially those with a taste for vegetarian food.
The pyramids may be the country’s biggest draw but delicious traditional Egyptian dishes like ful medames, koshariisis grownpopular 13th-centuryis growBaladi grow, falafel, and shawarma will keep you coming back for more.
WHAT IS TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOOD?
Legumes, vegetables, and fruit 13th-centuryKasa in Egypt’s rich Nile Valley and Delta feature prominently in Egyptian cuisine. While fish and seafood are common in Egypt’s coastal regions, a significant amount of traditional Egyptian food is vegetarian. This is due to the historically high price of meat in Egypt and the dietary needs of the Coptic Christian community.
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People with a taste for cumin will be happy to know that it’s the most frequently used spice in Egyptian cooking. Other common spices and herbs used in Egyptian recipes include cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, chili peppers, parsley, bay leaves, and dill.
Tea, especially mint tea, is very popular in Cairo and Egypt while beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage
THE BEST TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOOD
Egypt has a long culinary history that dates back to ancient times. It boasts a rich cuisine that gives Traveleaters much to look forward to in Cairo, especially those with a taste for vegetarian food.
The pyramids may be the country’s biggest draw but delicious traditional Egyptian dishes like ful medames, koshari, falafel, and shawarma will keep you coming back for more.
WHAT IS TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOOD?
Legumes, vegetables, and fruit grown in Egypt’s rich Nile Valley and Delta feature prominently in Egyptian cuisine. While fish and seafood are common in Egypt’s coastal regions, a significant amount of traditional Egyptian food is vegetarian. This is due to the historically high price of meat in Egypt and the dietary needs of the Coptic Christian community.
Commonly used meats in Egyptian cuisine include squab, chicken, duck, and lamb. Lamb and beef are often used for grilling while dishes made with offal are a popular fast food in many Egyptian cities.
People with a taste for cumin will be happy to know that it’s the most frequently used spice in Egyptian cooking. Other common spices and herbs used in Egyptian recipes include cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, chili peppers, parsley, bay leaves, and dill.
Tea, especially mint tea, is very popular in Cairo and Egypt while beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage
THE BEST TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOOD
This Egyptian food guide has been organized by category to make it easier to go through. Click on a link to jump to any section of the guide.
BREAD
1. Aish Baladi
Bread is a vital component in many cuisines. Its role is often two-fold – not only is it an important part of the meal itself, but it often serves as a utensil or vessel in the consumption of food. Such is the case with Egyptian food and Aish baladi.
VEGETARIAN
2. Hummus
If you’re looking for something delicious to pair with your aish baladi, then look no further than hummus. An Egyptian food favorite that’s popular throughout the Middle East, it refers to a type of savory dip made from cooked mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, garlic, cumin, and lemon juice.
The word hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic and is a shortened version of the dish’s full name ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna, meaning “chickpeas with tahini”. The exact origins of the dish are unclear, but the earliest written recipes for a dish resembling hummus are recorded in cookbooks written in 13th century Cairo.
Typically eaten as an appetizer or dip, or as an accompaniment to other Egyptian dishes like falafel, hummus is usually served with pita bread and garnishes like olive oil, whole chickpeas, paprika, and herbs
Typically eaten as an appetizer or dip, or as an accompaniment to other Egyptian dishes like falafel, hummus is usually served with pita bread and garnishes like olive oil, whole chickpeas, paprika, and herbs.
Interestingly, records indicate that Egyptians from the 13th and 14th centuries enjoyed a version of the dish called hummus kasa, which means “crushed hummus”. It appears to be a chunkier, less blended version of hummus made with the addition of coarsely chopped nuts. You can click on the link for the recipe.
3. Baba Ghanoush
Like hummus, baba ghanoush (or baba ghanouj) is one of the most popular dips served in Egyptian cuisine. Originally from Lebanon, it consists of mashed cooked eggplant blended with tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, and spices.
What I love most about baba ghanoush is its deliciously smokey flavor derived from roasted eggplant. It’s made by broiling or roasting the eggplant over an open flame and then peeling and blending it with the rest of the ingredients.
Baba ghanoush is typically served cold in Egypt, often as part of a mezze platter with pita bread or as a side dish with larger meals.
4. Ful Medames
Egyptian food gives vegetarians plenty to look forward to and ful medames may be one of the most delicious ones yet. An Egyptian national dish, it refers to a stew of creamy fava beans cooked with cumin, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, and spices.
Ful medames (or foul mudammas) is an Egyptian food staple but it’s also popular in other countries throughout the Middle East, the Levant, and North Africa. Like aish baladi, it’s an everyday Egyptian dish that can be consumed at any time of the day – for late breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. Like hummus and baba ghanoush, ful medames are typically eaten as a dip with warm pita bread.
Ful medames is typically made with fūl ḥammām or “bath beans” but it can be made with other types of fava beans as well like fūl rūmī (European broad beans) and fūl baladī (country beans).
It’s interesting to learn that in the Middle Ages, the cooking of fava beans for ful medames was monopolized by people living around the Princess Baths in Cairo, a public bath near the Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad. During the day, bath attendants would stoke fires to heat huge pots of bath water called qidrasideasideas. After the bath closed at night, t
he fires would continue to burn so they’d simmer fava beathe qidras and sell them the next morning.
5. Koshari
Koshari (or kushari, koshary) is another Egyptian national dish. A popular street food in Cairo and the rest of Egypt, it consists of lentils, white rice, chickpeas, and macaroni topped with a spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
Koshari dates back to mid-19th century Egypt and is essentially a dish that was thrown together to make use of leftover pantry staples. Leftover white rice, lentils, and macaroni were mixed together and topped with whole chickpeas, fried onions, and a garlic-vinegar-spiked tomato sauce.
Initially, kosahri was sold from street carts in Egypt and was popular mainly among workers and laborers. It would later be introduced to restaurants and has now become one of the most beloved comfort foods in Egypt.
6. Molokhia
Molokhia (or mulukhiyah, molokhiais moundsBrusselElijah) refers to both the Egyptian soup and the leafy vegetable used to make it. Like ful medames and koshari, it’s classic comfort food in Egypt and considered by many to be an Egyptian national dish.
Molokhia is made with the leaves of the Corchorus plant, a leafy shrub commonly known as jute mallow, Jew’s mallow, or nalta jute. Aside from Egypt, it’s used in the cuisines of many other countries like Tunisia, Kenya, Haiti, and the Philippines.
Egyptian molokhia is made with finely chopped jute leaves boiled in chicken broth with sauteed garlic, coriander, and seasonings. When cooked, molokhia takes on a somewhat slimy viscosity similar to okra. The soup is typically served with rice or Egyptian flatbread and is often paired with meat dishes like roasted chicken, rabbit, or seafood.
Molokhia is a dish that many Egyptians grew up eating. According to this Egyptian food blogger, it’s used by many mothers to introduce new vegetables into their children’s diet. Most Egyptian kids take to molokhia from an early age so mothers would hide finely chopped vegetables like carrots, broccoli, peas, and beans in their mound of #molokhia and rice. Sneaky!
7. Shakshuka
Shakshuka (or shakshouka) is one of the most internationally well-known dishes in North African cuisine. It’s widely consumed in the Levant and Israel but its roots are in North Africa, most likely Tunisia.
Originally a Maghrebi dish, shakshuka is made with eggs poached in a tomato sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, bell peppers, onions, and olive oil. It’s a delicious and simple one-skillet dish flavored with herbs and spices like parsley, mint, coriander, paprika, and cumin. The word shakshuka in Arabic means “shaken together” or “mixed”
Shakshuka is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch, especially in Israel, but it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It’s best paired with flatbread and salad and is often served as part of a larger mezze platter with hummus, falafel, and other traditional Egyptian dishes.
Shakshuka is traditionally a vegetarian dish but it can be made with meat like ground beef or ground lamb as well. You can even find a green variation of the classic recipe that substitutes tomatoes with leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, collard greens, and brusselegg sprouts.
8. Eggah
Eggah (or ej’jah) is a thick and dense baked omelette. Popular in Egypt and the Levant, you can think of it as the Middle Eastern version of a frittata.
Like a frittata, eggah can be filled with any number of ingredients like zucchini, spinach, fried onions, tomatoes, eggplant, green pepper, and leeks. The egg serves as a binder to hold the different fillings together which can also include meat. The omelette is baked in an oven and seasoned with spices like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, nutmeg, and fresh herbs.
Eggah looks like a breakfast dish but it can be eaten at any time of the day, either as an appetizer or main course with pita bread, salad, and other traditional Egyptian dishes.
9. Falafel
No Egyptian food guide can be complete without falafel (or ta’ameya). Like koshari and ful medames, it’s one of the most well-known traditional Egyptian dishes.
A popular street food in Cairo and the rest of Egypt, felafel refers to deep-fried balls or discs made from ground fava beans, herbs, and spices. It’s widely consumed throughout the Levant but it’s believed to have its roots in Egypt where it’s considered a national dish.
Falafel is believed to have been invented by Coptic Christians in Egypt who used it as a replacement for meat during Lent. During Ramadan, it’s sometimes eaten as part of the meal (iftar) that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Commonly eaten for breakfast, it’s such a popular Egyptian food that you can order a McFalafel for breakfast at any McDonald’s in Egypt.
What makes the Egyptian version of falafel different is that it’s made with dried and ground fava beans, unlike the rest of the Middle East where it’s made with chickpeas. Aside from being lighter and more moist, Egyptian falafel also has a greener interior because it’s made with more herbs. According to many fans of the dish, this Egyptian version of falafel is still the best in the world.
No matter how it’s made, Egyptian falafel can be eaten on its own or as part of larger mezze platters. My favorite way of enjoying falafel is to stuff it in pita like a sandwich with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and tahini sauce. Some hot sauce is always great too.
Thanks to delicious Egyptian dishes like ful medames and this falafel sandwich, Egypt has to be one of the easiest places in the world to be a vegetarian.
With two of Egypt’s national dishes being made with fava beans, it’s clear that this humble legume holds a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of many Egyptians. According to food historian Ken Albala, eating fava beans is a “conscious act of nationalism” in Egypt. It’s an “expression of identity for modern Egyptians who choose to resist the onslaught of contemporary breakfast foods; it is a way to remember who they are.”
MEAT DISHES
10. Bamya
Bamya refers to a type of Egyptian stew made with okra and lamb simmered in a tomato sauce with onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro, and spices. It’s popular throughout the Mediterranean and the Levant where it exists in many variations. Bamya in Arabic means “okra”.
Bamya is a common dish in Egypt. It can be made with or without meat though many versions will contain some type of protein, usually lamb or beef. It’s often served with white rice or pita bread and a squeeze of lemon.
11. Kofta Kebab
Kofta (or kefta) refers to a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes popular throughout the Levant, North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Indian subcontinent. In Egypt, they’re typically made with different types of seasoned ground meat but they can be made with other ingredients as well like fish and vegetables. Kofta can be formed into balls, patties, or cigars and cooked in any number of ways
Kofta kebabs are skewered and grilled koftas. Recipes vary but they’re typically made with a mixture of ground beef and ground lamb with onions, garlic, and a host of herbs and spices like parsley, mint, sumac, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, cumin, and paprika.
The meat mixture is molded over skewers and then grilled on each side for about four minutes. When ready, they can be eaten with white rice or pita bread and served with any choice of sides, salads, and dips.
12. Mombar
Mombar (or fawaregh) refers to a type of Egyptian sausage made from sheep intestines. It’s popular in the cuisines of Egypt and other countries in North Africa and the Middle East like Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Syria.
To prepare, sheep casings are stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, rice, garlic, onions, tomato paste, and seasonings. Recipes vary but commonly used herbs and spices include parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. The sausages are first boiled in water before being fried to a nice golden brown color
13. Shawarma
Shawarma is one of my all-time favorite street foods. It’s a Levantine Arab dish that’s hugely popular as street food in Cairo and throughout Egypt. It’s widely consumed throughout the Middle East and beyond and was even famously referenced in an Avengers post-credit scene.
Shawarma consists of thinly shaved pieces of grilled meat sliced from a rotating vertical rotisserie. It’s typically served in pita bread as a pocket sandwich or wrap with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, french fries, tahini sauce, and hot sauce.
To make shawarma, thin slices of heavily-spiced meat – usually beef, chicken, lamb, or mutton – are pierced and stacked onto a vertical skewer. Larger pieces are layered on top to create a cone-like stack measuring about 60 cm (20 in) high. A motorized spit then turns the stack against a vertical heating element to slowly roast the meat in its own juices and fat. It’s delicious and an absolute must-try in Egypt.
It’s interesting to learn that the shawarma is a descendant of Turkish doner kebabs, much like Greek gyros and Mexican tacos al pastor.
Gyros and shawarma are derived from the doner kebab which first appeared in the kitchens of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Lebanese immigrants would then take the shawarma to Mexico in the early 20th century where it would further evolve into tacos al pastor.
Like the various iterations of pizza, it’s always interesting to trace the origins of a dish and see how it evolved to suit the local palate. Which of these vertical kebab dishes have you tried?
14. Kebda Eskandarani
Kebda eskandarani refers to a traditional Egyptian dish made with fried beef liver flavored with garlic, chili peppers, cumin, and cardamom. It’s a specialty of Alexandria where it’s commonly sold as street food.
Kebda Eskandarani is typically enjoyed as a sandwich but it can be eaten on its own as well with white rice, lime, and warm pita bread on the side.
