Egyptian cuisine is one of the finest among both African and Middle Eastern kitchens, that is super underrated. Food makes up a huge part of the Egyptian culture, and your culinary adventure is a major element in your experience in the country. It’s not just because of the flavors, the spices used, or the traditional methods, but also because of the interesting stories behind the dishes.

So, which staples of Egyptian cuisine come with intriguing tales?

Fool Medames

Fava beans are the number one street food and breakfast element in Egypt, and fool medames is just one of the popular ways it’s eaten. Ever since ancient Egyptian times and fava beans have been traditionally cooked over low heat in something called “idra” which was made of pottery, then stainless steel, and nowadays made of aluminum. It’s cooked with vegetable oil and other spices. Usually, fava beans are soaked overnight and takes hours of cooking. But why was this recipe named fool medames?

It was actually named after a Greek man, called Demos, who used to live in Egypt. This man owned a public toilet which had a warehouse for burning waste in the back to be able to heat the toilet’s water. Demos wanted to benefit from the heat, so he placed the “idra” over the burning fire and let it slow cook. When the method spread amongst Egyptians and became popular, they gave credit to the guy and named it after him.

Today, you can find an “idra” on all fool carts in every corner in Egypt. If you catch it early in the morning for breakfast, they’ll serve it with Egyptian bread, known as Baladi bread, and green onions.

Kushari

If you ever been to Egypt, then you must have had this super popular Egyptian street food. But believe it or not, Egyptians actually got inspired from the Indian kitchen. It all goes back to the Brtish colonization; when the Brits came to Egypt, they brought the dish with them. Kushari is derived from the Sanskrit language, which means “rice with other things”. Over time, Egyptians added to it their own twist, and today, Kushari is made up of rice, macaroni, lentils, hot tomato sauce, garlic, and fried onions.

Mulukhiyah

Also referred to as molokhia, this dish is one of the staples of Egyptian cuisine. It’s made of green leaves, that it’s named after (also known as jute mallow), and broth. Hence, it’s a green soup, but it’s flavored with garlic and ground coriander. However, due to its slimy texture, you either hate it or love it; there’s no gray area!

Mulukhiyah is eaten in different ways. Usually, there are two types of people (assuming you’re a mulukhiyah fan, of course). Team A eats it over white rice, and team B eats it with pita bread shaped into spoons (we call it “wedn otta” which is Arabic for “cat’s ear“). I’m team B! It’s quite challenging though, I must warn you! But with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. It’s often eaten as a side with chicken, or an Egyptians fav, RABBITS! And in coastal cities like Alexandria, it’s very common to eat it with shrimps.

Now, let’s move on to the stories I’m here to tell you all about. Yes, there are several interesting stories about the traditional dish and not just one! Let’s start with how it got its name.

The most common story dates back to the era of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah when he wanted the dish all to himself, so he banned it, and as a result, it was named “mulukiyah“, an Arabic adjective derived from “king” which means “royalty”. Over time, the word was changed and people started calling it mulukhiya.

Another thing you need to know about mulukhiyah is a bizarre tradition that Egyptians follow to this day when cooking it. It’s called “shahe’t el mulukhiyah“, which is basically gasping while adding the stew to the spices! But what’s the secret behind this odd act? Well, there are three different legends:

1. The legend says that in an unknown era, a king used to love mulukhiyah so much and would order to kill the cook if his food wasn’t ready on time. One day, when the cook was about to add the stew to the spices, he gasped out of fear when one of the guards came yelling at him because he was late.
2. Another legend says that a lady almost dropped the boiling, hot spice mixture on herself while adding it to the stew in another pan. That’s why she gasped!
3. Remember the king that wanted it all to himself? Well, this legend also relates to him. One day, he was eating when he accidentally dropped the hot stew on himself, causing him to gasp. And ever since, he stopped eating it and ordered it would be fed to the people instead.

Feteer Meshaltet

“Feteer” is basically Egyptian-style pie. There are lots of kinds of feteer; both sweet and savory, and feteer meshaltet is one special type. It’s often eaten with honey and is considered a staple of the Egyptian rural cuisine. If you ever go to the countryside, you’ll be served this dish as a sign of generosity and hospitality.

This dish actually dates back to ancient Egypt. People used to give it as offerings to gods and they also stored it with the mummies’ belongings (since they believed in immortality).

Umm Ali

One of the most popular Egyptian desserts is hands down Umm Ali. The pudding-like delicacy is made of hot milk, cereal, nuts, raisins, coconut, and honey. Sounds sweet right? Well, Umm Ali is indeed, but the tale behind its creation is not!

The Egyptian dessert was named after the wife of one of the Ayyubid rulers in Egypt, who married her rival, Shajarat Al Durr. Upon his death, the two got into an argument about whose son should take the sultan’s place. As a result, Umm Ali plotted for Shajarat Al Durr’s death. She was beaten to death with slippers by her maids in the hammam.

In celebration of her rival’s death (brutal), she ordered the cooks to invent the most delicious dessert. The end result was named after Umm Ali and was distributed throughout the country.

Other Must-Try Dishes from Egyptian Cuisine

Egyptian cuisine doesn’t stop there! There are plenty of other dishes you must try when in Egypt if you want to feel the true essence of the culture.

Alexandrian Liver

If you’re a fan of beef liver, then you must try this Alexandrian specialty when you visit the Pearl of the Mediterranean. Cut into strips and marinated with lots of garlic, lemon juice, green pepper, and often a secret ingredient, this sandwich is too heavenly not to try.

Egyptian Fatta

If you’re familiar with Syrian Fatteh, then you must try the Egyptian version. Egyptian Fatta is a hearty, traditional meal made of white rice, crusted baladi bread (similar to pita bread), beef shank and stock (sometimes with lamb instead during Eid Al Adha), along with other special marination ingredients.

Hawawshi

This is basically bread stuffed with marinated minced beef and aside from the basic Hawawshi, it also comes with a variety of toppings. Cairenes and Alexandrians eat it differently though; Cairenes use baladi bread while Alexandrians bake it from scratch! I’m a bigger fan of the latter and I’m totally not biased because it’s my hometown *cough*.

Mahshi

It comes in different forms; it could be stuffed tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, or the famed vine leaves. But let me warn you, Egyptians like hearty meals and this is nothing less.

Pigeons

Yes, we eat pigeons in Egypt; usually stuffed with either rice or freekeh. One is not enough though, so don’t be afraid to order more. Oh, and use your hands!

Moussaka

You probably heard about Moussaka, the eggplant-based lasagna-like dish, but let me tell you, Greek Moussaka is something and Egyptian Moussaka is something else. You must try it the Egyptian way!

Circassian Chicken

Saving the best for last, this very old Egyptian recipe (sharkaseya in Arabic) is my all time favorite dish! This heavenly meal is made up of rice and chicken with creamy walnut-based sauce.

Where to Try Egyptian Cuisine?

Now that you know what to try on your next trip to Egypt, you need to know where to find it. I’ll list below some of the most popular Egyptian food restaurants in both Cairo and Alexandria.

Popular Egyptian Food Restaurants in Cairo:

• Abou El Sid
• Sobhy Kaber
• Kebdet El Prince
• Farahat (specialized in grills)
• Ezz El Menoufy (Egyptian street food)
• Zooba (gourmet Egyptian street food)
• Desoky & Soda (gourmet Egyptian street food)
• Koshary El Tahrir (specialized in kushari obviously)

Popular Egyptian Food Restaurants in Alexandria:

• Balbaa Grill and Fish Village
• Abdelwahab Village for Grills and Fish
• Mohamed Ahmed (breakfast)
• Abo Rabie (breakfast)
• GAD (breakfast)
• Awlad El Falah (specialized in Alexandrian liver)
• Kebda Fahmy (specialized in Alexandrian liver)
• Baladi Gourmet (gourmet Egyptian street food)
• Jimmy (specialized in grills)

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