This is going to be a slightly different foodie guide than my usual foodie offerings. It is my small effort to right what I feel to be a wrong. When researching my first trip to Egypt, many blogs and guides suggested the food on offer would be average at best. At worst, we were warned of terrible food poisoning and weeks of eating little more than tasteless stews and dry bread. I consoled myself with the thought that the pyramids, temples and millennia of history would more than compensate. But the foodie scene we found was anything but terrible – we had some fantastic meals and had our first taste of the many wonderful Egyptian specialities. Not just in Cairo, but throughout our Egyptian travels. Given the many thousands of years the Egyptians have been honing their cuisine, it should not really have been a surprise!
I suspect a lot of the accounts of terrible food might have been from organised package tours. I was apprehensive about the food on our Nile cruise, but the meals onboard the magnificent Steam Ship Sudan were superb. So if you are planning to book an organised trip, I definitely recommend checking out reviews of the meals provided so you don’t miss out on all the yumminess that the Egyptian cuisine has to offer!
WHAT TO EAT IN EGYPT
CULINARY INFLUENCES
Much of Egypt’s traditional cuisine is heavily vegetarian. In part due to the fact that the incredibly rich, fertile lands of the Nile Valley and Delta mean fruit and vegetables are in abundance. The dietary requirements of the Coptic Christian community has also had an impact on Egyptian culinary trends, as they eat a mainly vegan diet for most of the year. Whilst fish is a staple in the Mediterranean coastal areas, grilled meats are more often found on menus elsewhere across Egypt, with the most commonly used meats including pigeon, chicken, duck, and lamb. Offal is popular and frequently used.
TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOODS
Ful Medames – a breakfast dish of fava beans (ful) stewed with tahini and seasoned with garlic, cumin, and lemon. Also known as foul mudammas or simply ful. There are references to ful as an Egyptian staple as far back as the 4thC, where the beans were buried over embers to slow cook – ‘medames’ means buried in Egyptian Arabic. A contender for Egypt’s national dish, as is…
Koshari – one of my favourites. Koshari is usually made up of rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, fried onions and a spicy tomato sauce. Given rice and pasta aren’t native to Egypt, it’s thought the dish was brought from India by the British. Cheap, delicious and filling. In Cairo, Abou Tarek is the place to go, although Koshary El Tahrir is also popular.
Aish Baladi – hands down, the world’s best flatbread. I could eat mountains of it. Similar to a pita, but made with whole wheat flour, baladi is the backbone of almost every meal eaten in Egypt. Egyptologists have found evidence of a version of baladi being made as far back as 5,800 years ago – then made with an ancient grain known as emmer. Because it was leavened with natural yeast, it could be considered the world’s oldest sourdough! Baladi is so central to, and synonymous with, life in Egypt, that the rallying cry of the 2011 Revolution was “bread, freedom and social justice”. Government statistics suggest about 85% of Egyptians eat baladi bread every day, with Egyptians getting 70% of their starch and protein and 52% of their calories from the humble loaf. For the poorest Egyptians, it is used in place of more expensive carbohydrates such as rice. Food riots after the government cut the decades-old bread subsidy led to wider scale protests on all manner of issues around social justice, poverty and freedoms. Even the name is key to understanding the importance of bread in Egyptian culture. “Aish” means life in Egyptian Arabic.
Ta’amiyya – falafels made with fava beans instead of chickpeas as you find across the rest of the Middle East. Confession time… as much as I like chickpea falafels, I *really* love Egyptian falafels. The fava beans mean they have a lighter, fresher consistency.
Um Ali – traditional bread pudding, layered with puff pastry, milk, and cream, and topped with nuts, raisins and coconut. It is delicious! Even if you don’t like bread pudding (I don’t!) give this a try. There are many stories which seek to explain the origins of the name. One suggests that as Um Ali translates to “Ali’s mother”, it was named in honour of the wife of a 13thC Sultan of Egypt, Izz Al-Din Aybak. Known as “Um Ali”, she had this desert prepared and distributed it widely, in celebration of the murder of another of her husband’s wives! Another story – which I desperately want to be true – has it that an Irish cook, Mrs O’Malley, working in the Egyptian court made this desert for the royal family. Over time, O’Malley’s pudding became Um Ali!
Feteer – layers and layer of soft flaky pastry with lashings of melted butter. Also known as feteer meshaltet. If I could eat feteer with Egyptian molasses every morning of my life I would be a happy woman! Feteer can be either sweet or savoury. Sometimes it is filled with meats, cheese or vegetables and (inexplicably!) known as Egyptian pizza! Feteer has become an important symbol of hospitality in Egypt and families traditionally give it as a gift to visitors and friends. It is commonly prepared for holidays, weddings, and other celebrations.
Molokhya – Egyptian marmite… you will either love it or hate it! A green soup made from finely chopped leafy greens in a beef, chicken or seafood stock. It is named after the vegetable that forms its base, a bitter green leaf. The consistency is gelatinous… or less appealingly described… slimy.
Hamam Mashi – a stuffed pigeon that’s either grilled or roasted, widely rumoured to be an aphrodisiac… Another hugely historic dish which has been appearing on Egyptian menus for hundreds of years. The filling is usually spiced with cinnamon, nuts, cumin, onion and pepper, and the whole pigeon is grilled until the skin is a crispy golden-brown.
Mombar or fawaregh – sheep casing stuffed with a rice and meat mixture and deep fried – kind of like an Egyptian haggis!
Roz bil laban – another desert that really surprised me. I really, really, really do not like rice pudding. And yet the Egyptian version – essentially cooked rice in a sweet milk pudding, flavoured with vanilla and coconut and served chilled – was unexpectedly delicious.
WHERE TO EAT IN CAIRO
Here are my current top picks for where to eat in Cairo. I often leave a new country or city with a long list of the museums, hikes and sights I want to return to see. This was no different when we departed Egypt, but I also had an ever growing list of the places I wanted to go back to eat at in Cairo!
One of the best options for dinner in Cairo is to pick up a picnic at a grocery shop, and hire a felucca on the Nile for the evening, to watch the sun set. This is an incredible Cairo experience, and very cheap too!
If you want to explore Egyptian cuisine in more depth, I really recommend the Bellies on Route tour of Downtown Cairo. It is $72 (plus tax, around £60) for a 4-5 hour culinary exploration – come hungry.
Check out my guide to Cairo for more to explore in the Egyptian capital.
TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN
Abou El Sid Restaurant – branches across Cairo, but the Arabian palace-esque decor makes Zamalek the top pick. It is areproduction of a typical 1930s Cairene house. The Circasian chicken in walnut sauce is a favourite, and this is the place to try the Egyptian speciality of pigeon. Book in advance if you’re visiting at the weekend.
Abou Tarek – *the* place for koshari in Cairo, it has gained almost mythical status. And it also got the seal of approval from the wonderful Anthony Bourdain – no more needs to be said!
Zööba – best described as poshed up street food! Expect all of the most loved Egyptian street foods, served in gorgeously colourful, quirky and distinctly cool spaces.
Kebabgy – Egyptian grill on the very edge of the waters of the Nile, in the Sofitel Hotel. It is undoubtedly expensive, and you can get a similarly good grill elsewhere for a quarter of the price, but the location is fairly special for a first visit to Cairo. The food was very good – especially the tender grilled pigeon, and the amazingly simple but flavourful tomato salad.
Felfela – within easy walking distance of the Egyptian Museum, this eclectically decorated restaurant in a covered alleyway first opened in 1959. The falafel and baba ghanouj were both addictive, but the completely unexpected standout was the rice pudding – something I usually detest, but I could have devoured multiple sittings here! For a cheaper sampling of their wonderful menu, head to Felfela Takeaway around the corner on Talaat Harb Street.
CAFES
Simond’s Bakery – French boulangerie come New York deli vibe, which has been serving Cairo residents since 1898.
El Malky – the place to try roz bil laban, this little desert shop was first opened in 1917.
Granita – and authentically bohemian, and somewhat unexpected place in the grounds of the All Saints Cathedral in Zamalek. Full restaurant. It served the best toffee date cake I’ve ever had, and there is also a full menu for more substantial eats. There is inside and outside seating. Service was a bit haphazard (ours was great, but everyone around us had a nightmare trying to order or get their food!), but very friendly!
Naguib Mahfouz Cafe/ Khan El Khalili Restaurant – a bit of a tourist hot spot in the centre of the bazaar, but a fresh juice or a mint tea amongst the opulent mirrors and geometric tiles is a very enjoyable break from the clatter and hustle of the market. And it is certainly not without charm or history – the café opened in 1989 as a tribute to the wonderful Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.
Ratios Bakery – artisan bakery in Maadi. Gorgeous little garden and buttery croissants.
OTHER CUISINES
Lucille’s – huge American breakfasts and Time magazine’s best burger in the world. Is it the world’s best burger? I’m not sure, but it’s certainly a very good burger!
Seecoz – really fantastic Greek gyros in Zamalek. The Husband went for a fried chicken souvlaki and I had haloumi. Both were really tasty, fresh and extremely flavourful not least down to the fabulously punchy garlic sauce.
O’s Pasta – tiny little Italian in Zamalek serving superb homemade pasta. The menu ranges from traditional Italian classics, to south east Asian inspired seafood sauces.
Makino – hidden away in the Zamalek Hilton, this is possibly the best Japanese offering in Cairo. Expect authentic Japanese eats – often with an Egyptian twist.
WHERE TO DRINK
As a majority Muslim country, many Egyptians do not drink alcohol. But for those who do, or visitors, you can find alcohol for sale in shops, some restaurants and bars in wealthier neighbourhoods, and in many hotels. In Cairo, premises serving alcohol used to be centred in Zamalek, but increasingly bars and clubs are opening up across the city.
The legal drinking age in Egypt is 21. During Ramadan, alcohol is forbidden by law, and only travellers with a foreign passport can purchase alcohol. Drinking alcohol anywhere other than a bar or licensed restaurant is strictly prohibited and can lead to arrest.
The Citadel Restaurant – the food is very average, but the terraces offer beautiful views all the way down Al Azhar Park and to the minarets of the mosques beyond. I suggest coming for a sunset drink after you have toured the Citadel. No alcohol.
Rooftop – come early to this Zamalek spot for the views over the River Nile, but I wouldn’t recommend eating here. Also be aware it’s at the top of a slightly run down hotel so don’t be too put off on arrival!
Pier 88 – pricey but worth the splurge to sit overlooking the Nile. The Italian food on offer is also excellent.
Rooftop 7000 – atop the appropriately named Best View Pyramids Hotel, with unobstructed views over the Sphinx and the Pyramids. There can’t be many more iconic sights to look out onto whilst sipping a sundowner.
There are plenty more Egypt guides on the blog to help you plan your trip – including a guide to Cairo. Don’t forget to check out my advice on travelling across the wider Middle East and North Africa for more ideas on where to go next. You might also want to have a look at my literary inspired guides – more Queen of Crime inspired travel coming soon!
Leave a Reply