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Please note that working with these small family-owned restaurants means that depending on the day of the week/hour of day, your guide might have to make some changes and replace a dish or another at one of the stops.

FUL (SLOW-COOKED FAVA BEANS)

Ful is a staple ingredient in Egyptian cuisine, and is the daily breakfast of the people. It is dried so it ca be enjoyed all year long, and then slow-cooked to perfection, after which it is seasoned to your preference and mashed, then served in or alongside Egyptian Baladi bread.

TAAMIYA (EGYPTIAN FALAFEL)

What makes Egyptian Taamiya different? The fact that it’s always made with fava beans rather than chickpeas. In a giant machine, the beans are thrown in with fresh herbs, aromatics like onions and leeks, and spices. Once ready, the batter is shaped into little patties and fried, then served fresh with a drizzle of tehina (sesame paste dressing).

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ARABIC COFFEE

(Please note that this stop is closed on Fridays. Turkish coffee is added to a later stop in this case.)

Tasting and looking more like a tea, and originating in the Arab Gulf region, Arabic coffee is made with a very lightly roasted bean that almost stays green, and its special ingredient is cardamom. Arabic coffee is never sweetened, although it can be enjoyed with a few dates or a dessert.

On an almost daily basis, Egyptians enjoy having vegetables stews with rice for lunch. The stews can be made with different types of vegetables like okra, snow peas, spinach, potatoes or white beans. The sauce is tomato-based and the spices are minimal, just salt, pepper and cardamom powder. The flavor is enhanced by adding chicken stock to the sauce and simmering it until the vegetable is softer and the flavors are combined.
Egyptian rice is almost always with vermicelli, and diners must specifically request plain rice if they don’t want to eat vermicelli with their rice. Chicken is the perfect companion for the above meal since it’s the most affordable option of protein and can be cooked simply.

Juice bars are a huge part of Egyptian culture due to the heat. The most popular juice is sugarcane juice, and this guarantees that every juice place visited would have a special sugarcane machine available as it must be freshly served. Other popular ones are tamarind, Sobia (coconut and vanilla drink), and tangerine. Egyptians usually stop for a quick pick-me-up while running an errand and then go on with their day.

baba ghanoug, Tahini salad, and fried eggplants

Baba Ghanoug is a creamy eggplant dip that packs a smokey flavor and lots of texture. It’s a fantastic side for molokhiya as well as seafood, and it’s made with tahini (sesame paste), spices, lemon, oil and eggplants that are roasted/smoked/fried. Tahini is also used to make “tahini salad” which is sesame paste, vinegar, lemon, salt and other spices blended together; an essential part of most dinner spreads. Fried eggplants are also a very popular side. When treated properly, eggplants lose their bitterness and are enhanced by acidic flavors that come from the da’ah (or salsa) served on top. The da’ah is made with garlic and parsley that are all crushed together with vinegar and lemon.

molokhiya & rice

Molokhiya gets its name from the word Molokiya (which means royalty), because in the 12th century it was banned from the public’s consumption and only members of the royal family could have it. It is made with jews mallow leaves (very similar to okra leaves, and sharing the same viscous texture), any stock, and a fragrant base of garlic and dried coriander. Molokhiya has to be cooked in a specific way and that’s what makes it a great dish to test a new bride’s cooking skills with. It is typically served with rice or bread and in most coastal cities it is served with seafood, specifically shrimp like in this case.

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mokh (deep-fried cow brain)

A common street food enjoyed by the masses is deep fried cow-brains. The brain is battered and fried and then served as a side or in Egyptian Baladi bread. A squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of tehina are common ways to dress it.

middle eastern desserts

Kunafa, basbousa, zalabya and balah el sham are just a few of the incredible sweets available around the Middle East. They’ve been a staple in Egyptian cuisine for hundreds of years and are increasingly popular during Ramadan and special celebrations like the feast, weddings or during family visits. Middle Eastern sweets are usually almost always drenched in sugar syrup, butter/ghee and are extremely sticky and delicious. Kunafa is made with a special type of hair like dough, where as basbousa is made with semolina flour and sometimes flavored with orange or rose water.

Feteer is an Egyptian pastry made with flour, water and lots of ghee. The dough is elastic and neither salted or sweetened. After the dough is rested in the form of a ball, it is spread out and flattened to form a very thin layer. It can then be stuffed or left plain, and it goes into the oven to cook. The dough separates similarly to a croissant and becomes flakey and delicious. If left plain, feteer can then be topped with powdered sugar or sugarcane molasses, or be enjoyed with a side of salty cheese.