Traditional Foods of Egypt

Egypt has many traditions and cultural norms that have persisted through the ages, and it’s no different when it comes to its cuisine. Here are 8 of the most traditional Egyptian Food, that you need to try when visiting the country. While we can’t guarantee you’ll love them all, I know you won’t resist trying at least one of these.

 

Mezze Dishes

Egyptian food is a fusion of North African, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Hummus

Hummus is a delicious dip made from chickpeas and tahini sauce, that can be served with pita bread or vegetables. It is one dish in particular that you can find all over the country.

Baba Ghanoush

Another traditional dish worth trying is baba ghanoush, an eggplant-based spread made using boiled eggplant, garlic cloves, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. It's often eaten as part of a mezze platter with other dishes such as falafel (deep-fried balls), olives, and tabbouleh (salad).

Fish and Seafood

One of the iconic Egyptian food & Egyptian cuisine is fish dishes which are usually cooked with turmeric and coriander, as well as other spices. One popular dish is the salt-baked fish, which is a whole fish wrapped in fig leaves and then baked in the oven.

The most common types of fish found in Egyptian kitchens include Nile perch, Nile tilapia, striped sea bream, red snapper, smallmouth barracuda, mackerel, and grouper. Fish might be served on its own with garlic sauce or hummus, or it can be combined with rice and vegetables for a complete meal. The most famous seafood restaurant in Cairo is Fish Market by Mercato Centrale, where you can sample some of the best seafood from around the world.
 

Meat Dishes

 As in many Middle Eastern countries, meat plays a big role in Egyptian food. Meat-based dishes are often served with rice and vegetables. Of course, this means that they’ve been cooking up lamb, beef, and chicken for thousands of years.

 The most famous dish is probably Kibbeh, which is made from ground meat (usual lamb) mixed with bulgur wheat or rice. It's then shaped into a ball shape and fried in olive oil. 

 Another traditional dish that's still wildly popular is Fatteh, which is meat and a flatbread-like pita baked together. Toppings include chickpeas, yoghurt, and pine nuts. 

The Egyptian national dish is Hawawshi, which are meat pies stuffed with onions and seasoned minced meat spiced with cumin seeds and coriander. They're usually eaten as part of a Ramadan meal before breaking fast at sundown. Kamounia is also a pie that looks similar to Hawawshi but is filled with vegetables instead of minced meat.

There's also kebab, another type of grilled meat on a skewer. And finally, there's falafel: deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas and spices.
 

Customize Your Trip to Egypt Now!

Vegetarian Dishes

Egyptian food has a wide variety of vegetarian dishes. 

Falafel is one of the most popular, which are deep-fried chickpea patties served with fresh vegetables and tahini sauce. 

Another dish is Ful Medames, which consists of fava beans boiled with cumin, coriander, garlic with olive oil, and lemon juice and topped with olive oil and vinegar. 

Kushari is also another traditional dish that people should try while in Egypt. It's made up of rice, macaroni, lentils, fried onions, and tomato sauce mixed and topped with crispy fried onions or sometimes hard-boiled eggs depending on how you want it.

Last but not least there is a vegan option called Eggah which consists of eggplant mixed in a sesame seed paste called Tahina along with other spices like parsley, cilantro, garlic, and onion.


 

Bread

Egyptians can't live without their bread, so it should come as no surprise that there are many different types available. 

The most common type is aish shamsi, which is baked in the oven and usually has a crusty exterior with a softer interior and a chewy texture.

 Aish fino is also oven-baked but has a less chewy texture, more like focaccia . 

Eish fino is made from yeast dough or sweet yeast dough, while eish baladi is made from unleavened flour dough that is not fermented. 

Aish Baladi is traditionally made by rural families who typically don't have access to an oven because they're not well-off enough to afford one. They use the stovetop instead and make small pieces of bread that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It's served hot and can be eaten for breakfast or dipped into soup!

Eish baladi is made with wheat flour and water and cooked on top of an open flame, often over coals from wood or charcoal. It's sometimes cooked in oil for a crispy outer layer. It's typically thicker than eish shamsi and denser than eish fino, with a chewier texture.
 

Experience the Refined tastes & aromas of Egypt With our Egypt Tour Packages, starting from 729$

Cheese

 

Egyptian cheese is made from a mix of goat and cow's milk. It has a high melting point, which makes it perfect for cooking or frying. Egyptian cheese can be found in blocks, balls or rolls, and is often flavoured with herbs like thyme or marjoram. One popular dish that uses Egyptian cheese is Domiati, a rich stew of rice and potatoes topped with tomato sauce. 
Baramily is a mixture of pasta (usual spaghetti) fried with eggs, onions and tomatoes. The word bara means to fry in Arabic and the dish originated from the people living along the Nile River Delta who needed an inexpensive way to cook eggs for their families on Fridays.
Areesh is made from semolina flour, water and salt. It is cooked in boiling water until it forms a thick porridge-like consistency and served hot. Eaten at breakfast time with your favourite toppings such as honey, butter, sugar, cinnamon and dates. 
finally, mish comes from the Medieval Latin mixtum meaning mixed or mingled, and refers to a dish made by combining different ingredients into one dish.

 

Final Thought 

Each country has its own unique food traditions. The cuisine in Egypt is just as diverse as the rich history and culture. From staples like koshari (rice, macaroni, lentils, and fried onions), ful medames (a fava bean stew), mahshi (vegetables stuffed with rice), and shawarma on almost every street corner, Egyptian food has plenty of options when it comes to tasty foods.