A Tour around Egypt’s Gastronomy

Served with flat bread accompanied by pickles, salad, and tahini. Course: Main Course (breakfast, lunch, or a filling snack). Fava beans are used for both dishes, which can be eaten together or separately. The beans have been part of Egyptian cuisine for a millennium, at least. 

For ful, the beans are stewed overnight to create a creamy dish you can spice to your preference. Ta’meyyah (or falafel) are shelled fava beans patties with an array of green herbs fried to a crispy exterior, and a fluffy inside.

Served with tomato sauce, garlic sauce, and chilli sauce Course: Main Course Lentils, rice, and pasta mixed with whole chickpeas and sprinkled with fried onions come together for a filling carb-rich dish that explodes with flavour.  It may have distant origins in Indian kitchari, but it is today a uniquely Egyptian dish

Dried seeds used in both whole and ground form to season cooked dishes or to flavour white cheese dips and salads.

The dried fruits, commonly called ‘coriander seeds’, are fried with garlic in butter or ghee to create a sizzling sauce called ta’leyyah poured over many dishes for added flavour and aroma.

No soup or stew is complete without dried cardamom seeds. Make sure to remove them before serving, however, as they taste sharp and unpleasant if chewed.

Literally meaning ‘spices’, boharat is a spice mix that is the cornerstone of modern Egyptian cuisine. It is added to meat, poultry, and all sorts of vegetables.

From savoury rice dishes to sweet puddings and hot tea, cinnamon is the ultimate multitasking spice in Egyptian food. 

Served with rice, meat, and bread. Course: Main Course Molokheyyah is a vibrant green soup made with a beef, chicken, or rabbit stock. Its flavour is enriched with ta’leyyah, a sizzling, aromatic fried garlic and coriander oil thrown into the soup at the last minute accompanied by a ‘gasp’ from the cook for supposed extra flavour.

Baked with meat or poultry Course: Main Course Fireek is wheat harvested while green, toasted and rubbed together until it breaks into smaller bits. It has a tangy, smoky flavour that nicely balances fatty meats. It is often mixed with meat and slow cooked in earthenware pots or used as stuffing for grilled pigeons.

Served with nuts and raisins Course: Dessert A warming dessert full of texture, Omm Ali is made of crispy filo pastry layered with sugar and nuts, covered in milk and cream, and cooked in a clay pot. The result is a creamy and crunchy decadent dessert served on special occasions.