Food and travel go hand in hand- especially when you’re consider taking a trip to Egypt, as Egypt is littered with great places to try new food. But what foods should you try? There are so many to choose from! To help you decide, here are a few of Egypt’s most popular and mouthwatering foods.
Ta’meya
A traditional Egyptian staple, ta’meya is cheap, simple, and tastes great! It’s made of crushed fava bean paste and then fried. It’s served as a breakfast food and for Egyptians, is the equivalent of the American hamburger.
Hawashy
Hawashy is ideal for meat lovers. Consisting of baked bread that has been stuffed with minced meat, hawashy is baked in a conventional oven and served hot. It can also be made using sausage instead of minced meat, as well as pastrami.
Muluhkia
Made of primarily plant-based ingredients, muluhkia uses jute and corcorus plants, as well as garlic. The ingredients are ground together to form a thick paste. The dish is then served as a side along rice and various meats.
Aish Baladi
Over 60% of Egyptian foods are eaten with this dish, making it the most popular Egyptian food on the list. Aish baladi is of wheat flour, salt, and water. It is baked until it reaches a crispy state and then served with a variety of dishes such as falafel and fol.
Colocasia Soup
Made from a plant called a taru, coocasio soup’s main ingredient was originally sourced from South Asia. In Egypt, the plant is peeled and boiled, and then mixed with lemon juice, coriander, and garlic. It is typically served alongside rice or flatbread.
Umm Ali
A sweet and tasty treat, umm ali is a layered dessert. It is made with layers of bread and milk, and has additives such as nuts, raisins, and cream. It is baked, and then served while it’s hot. It pairs well with ice cream.
Basbousa
A sweet semolina cake, basbousa is a popular Egyptian dessert that thrillers travelers. It’s eaten after lunch and for dessert after dinner. The treat is made of semolina that has been soaked in syrup made from fresh rose water and sometimes honey with lemon. Occasionally, coconut is added to the desert.
Fata
A traditional Christmas dish, fata is truly unique. It’s main ingredient is lamb and also includes garlic, vinegar, bread, pepper, and rice. It’s often garnished with parsley.
Ghoraiba
Commonly served as a treat for Ramadan or Christmas, these bite sized cookies are a holiday hit. They are buttery and sweet, made of purified butter, flour, vanilla, and sugar. Each cookie is topped with a whole almond.
Sayadeya
This seafood platter is a common dinner dish throughout Egypt. It includes a variety of fish including bass, mullet, and bluefish. It’s cooked and served alongside rice and then seasoned with either tomato or onion sauce.
Mahshi
Great for vegetarian travelers, mahshi is a vegetable dish. A vegetable of choice- a bell pepper, for example- is stuffed with rice filling that consists of rice, various herbs, tomato sauce, and a dash of cinnamon.