Food is a critical aspect of every country’s culture, and in Egypt, all of their traditional dishes are a must-try. Aside from the pyramids, travelers make sure to visit this country to taste the rich Egyptian cuisine. Their recipes are a little bit similar to the Mediterranean cuisine – but with a little bit of a twist.
Egyptian dishes are more inclined to the use of vegetables, alongside some fruits and legumes. They love eating vegetables such as leeks, radish, onions, and lettuce and fruits such as melons, figs, and plums. Their non-vegetarian dishes, on the other hand, comprise of meat from ducks, pigeons, chickens, and rabbits. Let us further explore some of the most famous traditional Egyptian food that would trigger your taste buds until its core.
Kushari
Kushari is a dish with a mixture of both pasta and rice. It is composed of spaghetti noodles, small round macaroni, hummus, fried onions, black lentils, and vermicelli. You can also use various flavors of sauces such as tomato sauce, chili sauce, and garlic and vinegar sauce. This dish may sound weird and unattractive at first, but once you have tasted it, you will definitely ask for more!
Ful Medammes
One of the most famous traditional breakfast dishes in Egypt is the Ful Medammes. This dish is made up of fava beans, broad beans which are encased in green pods that are fat and long, cooked together with salt and oil. The beans are also known for its rich essential nutrients like iron and carbohydrates. They’re also known to have low levels of saturated fats.
This dish is flavorful because of the process of creating this breakfast. It requires soaking overnight and cooking for an extended period over low heat, as a way to remove the beans casing naturally.
Fattah
Fattah is a famous delicacy of Egypt made up of meat, rice, and bread crumbs. First, the bite-sized pita pieces of bread are made crispy through baking or deep-frying. Once fried, the crumbs are placed on a bowl with a huge amount of cooked rice and sautéed beef on top. Then, top it with a spicy seasoning composed of garlic and vinegar for its finishing touches.
Fattah is also known to be always present on special occasions like Ramadan, a baby’s birth or even a woman’s first pregnancy!
Molokhia
A famous dish for the royalties of ancient Egypt is the Molokhia. However, nowadays, it is already considered as a stable food present in every Egyptian’s kitchen. Molokhia is composed of a leafy green vegetable called mallow leaves. It is then served as a thick stew with rice or bread on the sides. This dish also comes along with either rabbit or chicken, depending on an individual’s preference.
The funny thing when preparing Molokhia is that the cook must loudly gasp when mixing the herbs with the said vegetable. Once the gasping has been done, they must then mention an Arabic translation of “green, green, green.” They perform this tradition to ensure that their Molokhia comes out perfect.
Mahsi
Mahsi is one of the most favorite dishes of Egyptians. To put it simply, this dish is just a vegetable of choice, such as bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, or eggplants, stuffed with rice filling and sometimes, minced meat. You can also put some parsley, dill, cilantro, and a touch of cinnamon on top. To complete the experience, a tomato sauce seasoning must also cover the whole dish.
Egyptian cuisines are both unique and tasteful. It is a good thing that this cuisine is very diverse and versatile – having a broad range of variations of vegetable and non-vegetable dishes. If you have not tasted any of this, you should try some. Rest assured that every single Egyptian dish will definitely satisfy your taste buds and melt your hearts.