Alright time for an Egyptian food thread. If you don’t like it, toz.
I will not be mentioning shawarma, kofta, kebab, baklava, kunafa, hummus, baba ghanoush, etc. even though those are staples in our cuisine. Feel free to add to the thread; I’m not going to mention everything.
The cornerstone of Egyptian cuisine: Aish baladi. This is Egyptian whole wheat pita bread. Rather than the Arabic word khobz for bread, Egyptians use the word “Aish,” meaning life.
Ful medames: fava bean stew. Eaten for breakfast with tahina, vegetables, olive oil, sometimes boiled eggs, and aish baladi. This is as Egyptian as it gets.
Known as falafel in Alexandria and Taameya in the rest of the country, originating from Coptic Christians who needed a replacement for meat while fasting. We make it with fava beans and very green with lots of herbs. Eaten with bread and mezze.
Beid bel basturma // eggs with basturma. Basturma was brought to Egypt from Armenians, and now it is eaten in Egypt more than any country outside of Armenia. We eat it by itself or with eggs for breakfast, with pita bread.
Gibna beida: egyptian feta cheese. One of the most popular cheeses that you will see on every breakfast table, eaten with pita bread and fresh tomatoes.
Goulash: layered phyllo dough stuffed with meat, spinach, or cheese. Probably brought to Egypt from the Greek spanikopita.
Ma7shi: literally meaning stuffed and eaten all over the eastern Mediterranean. We have many different kinds: kousa, koromb 🤢, wara2 3neb, etc. Sometimes eaten with salata zabadi (yogurt salad/dip)
Known as hawawshi in Egypt and arayes in the Levant. Stuffed pita bread with meat, peppers, onions, parsley, spices, and baked in the oven. A true after school special.
Macarona béchamel: originated from the Greek dish pastitsio. Pasta with ground beef in a tomato sauce topped with creamy béchamel. Egyptian comfort food at its best, if tante knows how to make it right.
Hamam Ma7shi: pigeon stuffed with freekeh (cracked wheat). There isn’t a lot of meat on the bird but it’s delicious. We like to stuff things.
Fatayer: baked pastries stuffed with spinach, meat, or cheese. You might eat a hundred of them.
Egyptian fattah: traditionally made with lamb, fried bread, rice, garlic, vinegar, tomato sauce, and spices, sometimes with yogurt. Especially popular during Eid el-Adha
Molokheya: ancient Egyptian dish made into soup and eaten over vermicelli rice or with toasted pita bread, with meat mixed in or on the side. Most Egyptians’ favorite meal.
Kushari: a carb feast made of macaroni, rice, lentils, chickpeas, and fried onions topped with a spicy tomato sauce. Considered by some to be the national dish of Egypt
Feseekh: fermented mullet sun dried, then soaked in salt water for a month. Served with salata baladi and bread. This is eaten especially on Sham El Nessim, the Coptic holiday celebrating the beginning of spring.
Feteer meshaltet: flakey pastry often referred to as Egyptian pizza. This can be made sweet with sweet cheese, mahalabia, Nutella, etc. or savory with cheese, meat, and every other filling you can think of.
Masa3-a: another dish that is probably Greek in origin, coming from moussaka. Grilled eggplant later pan fried with onions and peppers, then baked in a spiced tomato sauce. Sometimes eaten with beef.
Basbousa originated in Egypt and is known as namoura and harissa in other countries. Sweet semolina cake drenched in simple syrup. My mom’s is the best hmu for the recipe
Om Ali: egyptian bread pudding basically. Blended with pistachios, coconut, raisins, cream, and spices. Topped with more of the same.
Ghorayiba: Egyptian butter cookies eaten during Eid. They’re literally 90% butter and so delicious. Topped with pistachios or almonds.
Mahalabia: an Egyptian and Levantine custard made with rose water and pistachios. You can find this in just about every restaurant or cafe.
Ishta: a type of clotted cream used in many middle eastern desserts. Ishta is so popular in Egypt, we even use it as a slang word to mean “okay.”
What I’ve concluded from making this thread: we have a lot of Greek influence and eat a lot of carbs
I didn’t mention everything, please feel free to add to the thread! :)
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