Egyptian culture is more than just the pyramids and ancient civilization. Numerous delicious food from Egypt also can be a reason to visit. International travelers from several millennia ago also helped shape the food culture in Egypt. And with that, here are the top ten popular food from Egypt. The list covers dips, main dishes, and even desserts that Travelers can find all over Cairo.
10 most popular food from Egypt
Here are the top ten of popular Egyptian dishes all travelers can get. And the best part is, Egyptians understand the plurality and have all options for all travelers’ dietary restrictions. Vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, and even full-on meat-love will have a great time visiting Egypt for their food.
Ful Medames
The list started with the Egyptian National dish, Ful medames. This dish is cooked fave beans with olive oil, cumin, lemon juice, and other spices. Many travelers confuse this with hummus because of the same food structure. Both are also a dip and best served with a slice of warm pita bread. The most popular variant is using a ful hammam or bath beans. But travelers can find several variations using fava beans from different regions.
Anyhow, Ful medames is a historical dish. Historians found records showing Egyptians in the middle ages cooked fava beans around the Princess Bath area.
Aish Baladi
Every morning, Egyptians love their warm bread for breakfast. It’s a staple part that travelers can find in all restaurants. There are several food stalls that specifically only sell this bread.
Egyptians love bread and take it as more than just a staple food. It’s also a perfect eating utensil for eating dips and other dishes.
Hawawshi
Hawawshi is a pita bread filled with minced meat, vegetables, and spices. Many travelers will think of this as the equivalent of a taco. But Hawawshi is closer to a Cornish Pastry or a Calzone.
Travelers can tell if the seller is from Cairo or not from how they make Hawawshi. The Cairo-style Hawashi has the filling inside the folded bread before baking them in the oven. While Alexandria-style bakers put the minced meat between two full-sized doughs.
Kunafa
Also known as Knafeh, this dessert is highly popular in the Middle Eastern. Bakers will set layers of shredded phyllo pastry with cream cheese and top it with rose water or syrup. They will add chopped pistachios or clotted cream before serving.
Even though it’s a dessert, Knafeh is served hot. So, travelers can see the gooey and stringy cheese inside.
Basbousa
Despite the seemingly simple recipe, Basbousa is not an easy cake to make. It’s one of the staple bread that all Bakery across Cairo has. At a glance, Basbousa looks like a regular sponge cake. But the almond topping and distinct flavor of yogurt and coconut inside the cake.
Om Ali
Another dessert on this list, Om Ali is quintessentially Egyptian. It’s an eggless bread pudding. Egyptians used pastry like phyllo and soak them in milk before baking them inside the oven. Since it doesn’t consist of any egg, it’s less custard-like or similar to having a pancake inside warm milk.
Despite the appearance and flavor, Om Ali has a unique history. One of the popular stories is named after a 13th-century sultan’s mother who avenged her son’s death and created the dish to celebrate her conquest.
Shalab
It’s a unique drink indigenous to Egyptians. Traditionally made with wild orchid flour, the current version used cornstarch or sorghum flour instead.
The drink is thick, rich, and deliciously fragrant. It has vanilla, shredded coconut, and milk. The drink is served warm with cinnamon and other spices as a topping.
Ancient Romans and Ottomans take this drink as an aphrodisiac. They used it primarily before a wedding.
Mulukiyah
During his reign in the 11th century, Fatimid Sultan Hamik banned this dish. Thankfully, the next ruler revoked this law. Mulukiyah, also known as Molokhia or Molokheyya, is a vegetable soup. It’s creamy, hearty, and green.
This dish uses finely chopped jute mallow leaves, boiling them with chicken stock and other herbs. It’s a comfort food that many Egyptians remember as part of their childhood. The most common method to serve this soup is directly on top of a plate of warm white rice.
Hamaam Mashi
Pigeons are one protein that many Egyptians love, and Hamaam Mashi is a testament to that. This dish used young pigeons or squab filled with freekeh, rice, and numerous herbs and spices before grilling them in an open fire. They specifically grow the squabs and only feed them with fattening meals and cook them at their prime age.
Egyptians traditionally have Hamaam only for special occasions like a wedding or similar celebrations. But nowadays, most restaurants across Cairo serve this dish.
Koshari
Cairo has hundreds of street vendors selling Koshari. This dish is very warm and delicious to have. It’s a mixture of macaroni, chickpeas, rice, and lentil beans topped with spicy tomato sauce and fried onions.
This dish originated in the early 19th century when Egypt was still under British occupation. The idea came from using the leftover meals and throwing everything they have in the kitchen.
What is the most famous food from Egypt?
In addition to the hummus and kofta, the most popular dish is the Ful medames. Being the national dish sure helped the dip reach a new popularity height. Unfortunately, many travelers mistook Ful medames as a variation of hummus.
Does Egypt eat pork?
Even though it’s a primarily Muslim country, Egypt is also a house for Coptic Christians and other religions. Hog-lover travelers can find pork in non-muslim areas. Travelers can check with the restaurants if they have pork on their menu, to ensure that they can enjoy the fatty goodness.
Travelers aiming to taste and explore food from Egypt can head to exodustravel.net and get in touch with them to arrange a food-specific tour. They also can explore Egypt in its entirety by joining one of the available packages or tailoring their own.
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