Top 12 Traditional Egyptian Dishes

Many travelers' bucket lists are likely to include Egypt. Aside from the country's historic history, beautiful beaches, and scuba diving, traditional Egyptian cuisine is another reason to visit.

Egypt's cuisine is what it is now because of its ancient past, with each culture putting its stamp on the creation of foods.

Gathering and celebrating with family and friends - over excellent food, of course – is an important aspect of Egyptian culture, as it is in numerous Middle Eastern countries.

From breakfast to dessert, here are some top classic Egyptian culinary favorites that every visitor should taste at least once when visiting this beautiful nation.

1- Ful Medames

The most popular street food snack in Egypt, Ful is a paste of mashed broad (fava) beans flavored with garlic and olive oil. It is labeled out of large copper pots, often into pockets of pitta bread and typically sold as an inexpensive takeaway sandwich.

2- Tamiya

Another Egyptian street food staple, known elsewhere as falafel, Tamiya is made with mashed fava beans and parsley (instead of chickpeas, which are used elsewhere around the Mediterranean). It is made in the shape of flat discs rather than round balls and is typically eaten as a sandwich with salad.

3- Koshari

One of the famous Egyptian dishes, A mix of rice, brown lentils and macaroni topped with fried onions and a spicy tomato sauce, koshari is normally eaten in dedicated koshari restaurants that serve the dish exclusively.

4- Kebab and Kofta

Flame-grilled chunks of lamb (kebab) and spiced minced meat made into a sausage and grilled on a skewer (kofta) are a favorite Egyptian food meal. It is typically eaten with a simple chopped tomato and cucumber salad and a disc of flatbread.

5- Baba Ganoush

While many think it was invented in Lebanon, baba ganoush is a dish you will soon find on Egyptian restaurant menus. It’s a cream of roasted eggplant, olive oil, garlic, sesame paste (tahini) and lemon, very similar in texture to hummus, which like hummus is eaten with pita bread.>

6-  Feteer Meshaltet

One of the traditional old food, Fiteer is a light, flaky multilayered bread made from dough stretched paper-thin and folded several times. It is served stuffed with minced meat or cheese or just plain brushed with Samneh (ghee) or dusted with icing sugar.

7- Egyptian Fatteh

It is a dish of meat (beef or chicken), rice, garlic, and layers of dry bread soaked in broth. It is usually cooked in the oven and served with yogurt and nuts.

8- Mahshi

 

Another great dish for vegetarian travelers. It basically consists of baked vegetables, usually peppers, zucchini or aubergine, stuffed with rice mixed with aromatic herbs (parsley, coriander…).It is accompanied by a drink sauce.

9- Alexandrian Kebdah

It belongs to the street food but it is also cooked at home. The liver is prepared with hot pepper and garlic or onion can be added.As for the sausage, it is usually cooked in different ways, but mainly with tomato sauce and hot pepper. Both are served with pickles.

10- Basbousa

A tasty dessert that has crossed borders, the Basbousa is of Ottoman origin. Found in different countries, it is favored by people all over the world.

The name of the delicacy changes from country to country, it is called Basbousa in Egypt. The Egyptian version is usually thin, soaked in sweet syrup, soft inside and covered with almonds and fresh cream.

11- Hawawshi

Hawawshi is a traditional food in Egypt, it’s a bread (something similar to pita bread) that is usually filled with minced meat, onion, pepper. Hawawshi is perhaps best known as a staple of home-style Egyptian cooking to make you feel good

12- Umm Ali

This is a must-have dessert, even if you set foot in Egypt for a few minutes.

Om Ali, which means Ali’s mother, is made of layers of puff pastry soaked in milk and mixed with nuts, raisins, coconut flakes, and sugar, and then baked.

The baked dough with the hot milk, complemented with several different ingredients makes this a dish to remember.