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food in Egypt

HISTORY AND food
Thousands
of years ago, ancient Egyptians left evidence of their love for
food. Well-preserved wall paintings and carvings have been
discovered on tombs and temples, depicting large feasts and a
variety of foods. Many of these ancient foods are still eaten in
Egyptian households today. Peas, beans, cucumbers, dates, figs, and
grapes were popular fruits and vegetables in ancient times. Wheat
and barley, ancient staple crops, were used to make bread and beer.
Fish and poultry were also popular. Dried fish was prepared by
cleaning the fish, coating the pieces with salt, and placing them
the sun to dry. Fasieekh (salted, dried fish) remained a
popular meal in Egypt as of 2000.
The unique Egyptian cuisine
has been influenced throughout history, particularly by its
neighbors from the Middle East. Persians (modern-day Iraqis),
Greeks, Romans (modern-day Italians), Arabs, and Ottomans (from
modern-day Turkey) first influenced Egyptian cuisine thousands of
years ago. More recently, the foods of other Arabic people in the
Middle East such as the Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, as well as
some foods from Europe, have affected the Egyptian diet. However,
Egyptian cuisine maintains its uniqueness. After thousands of years,
rice and bread remain staple foods, and molokhiyya (a
spinach-like vegetable) and ful mudammas (cooked, creamy fava
beans), a national dish, are nearly as popular as long ago.
FOODS OF THE EGYPTIANS

If you're
lucky, you may be invited to dine in an Egyptian home. There are no
set times for dinner; often hours will depend upon your host's
profession. Although invitations may be issued for as late as 0100,
generally if no time is set, guests are expected between 2100-2200
hours. If you wish, you may bring flowers, chocolates, or a bottle
of wine (if you hosts drink--many Muslims do not). You will be
introduced to other guests and perhaps the host's entire family,
many of whom will not stay to eat.
Dining customs
vary throughout the country, so try to follow examples set by your
host and any fellow guests. Depending upon the family's own customs
and the size of the party, men and women may split up for cocktails
(nonalcoholic drinks in strict Muslim homes) and then rejoin at the
dinner table, where seating is usually random. All the food is set
in the middle of the table at the beginning of the meal. If no
silverware is provided, use your bread as a combination fork and
spoon. Guests are not expected to clear their plates, and you'll
need to refuse more than once to convince your host that you really
can't eat anymore. Complimenting the hostess on her cooking skills
as well as (for women) asking her for recipes are in good taste and
appreciated. After dinner, guests remove from the dining room to
drink mint tea or coffee. Wait at least a half-hour from the end of
the meal before you take you leave; compliment the cook again, and
extend your thanks (alf shokren).
Although
Egyptian eating habits may seem erratic, most natives begin the day
with a light breakfast of beans ,Ta'meya , eggs, and/or pickles,
cheeses, and jams. Most families eat their large, starchy lunch
around 14:00-17:00 and follow it with a siesta. They may take a
British-style tea at 17:00 or 18:00 and eat a light supper (often
leftovers from lunch) late in the evening. Dinner parties, however,
are scheduled late, often no earlier than 21:00, with the meal
served an hour or two later. In restaurants lunch is normally
13:00-16:00, dinner 20:00-24:00.
In Egypt,
dining out can range from stand-up sandwich bars to luxurious
five-course meals. You can find small, inexpensive establishments
that serve good Egyptian food for only a few pounds. If you're in a
hurry, try the local snack bars. While the cubbyholes off the street
(which probably have running water) are generally safe. The larger
cities even have Western-style fast-food chains like McDonald's and
Kentucky Fried Chicken, but they're relatively expensive. In cities
both food and water are safe although the change in your diet may
produce short-term gastrointestinal upsets.
Snack
Bars
Throughout
Egypt, little stand-up shops dispense the Egyptian version of the
fast food. Most of these shops in major cities are clean and offer
quick, inexpensive, and nutritious meals. Most shops have helpful
staff, but during their busy times you may have to push your way
into the pack of Egyptians to get waited on. You can buy roasted
chickens that the shop will season for you. You can also get
shawirma (Gyros), lamb cooked on a vertical split, available most of
the day.
The Egyptians
make a variety of meat (lahhma), vegetable (khudaar), and fish (samak)
soups known collectively as shurbah, and all are delicious.
NATIVE foodS
Egyptian food
reflects the country's melting-pot history; native cooks using local
ingredients have modified Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and
Syrian traditions to suit Egyptian budgets, customs, and tastes. The
dishes are simple; made with naturally ripened fruits and vegetables
and seasoned with fresh spices, they're good and hearty. food in the
south, closely linked to North African cuisine, is more zesty than
that found in the north, but neither is especially hot. The best
cooking is often found in the smaller towns. Although Egyptian
cooking can be bland and oily when poorly done, most of the cuisine
is delicious. Enjoy!
Bread

Aish,
the Arabic name for
(bread)
, means "life."
The
bread
comes in
several forms. The most common is a pita type made either with
refined white flour called aysh shami, or with coarse, whole wheat,
aysh baladi. Stuffed with any of several fillings, it becomes the
Egyptian sandwich. Aysh shams is bread made from leavened dough
allowed to rise in the sun, while plain aysh comes in long, skinny,
French-style loaves. If you find yourself faced with hard, dry aysh,
do like the Egyptians: soften it in water, and if you have a fire
available, warm it over the open flame.
EGYPTIAN
ONION BREAD
:
The Egyptians have always been extremely
fond of onions as a food; the ancients respecting ... layer cake
tins, if desired.
Ingredients: 9 (eggs .. flour .. salt .. seeds ...)
Ful
Mudammas
(Broad Beans in Sauce)

Along with aysh,
the native bean supplies most of Egypt's people with their daily
rations. Ful can be cooked several ways: in ful midamess, the whole
beans are boiled, with vegetables if desired, and then mashed with
onions, tomatoes, and spices. This mixture is often served with an
egg for breakfast, without the egg for other meals . A similar
sauce, cooked down into a paste and stuffed into aysh baladi, is the
filling for the sandwiches sold on the street. Alternatively, ful
beans are soaked, minced, mixed with spices, formed into patties
(called ta'miyya in Cairo and falaafil in Alexandria), and
deep-fried. These patties, garnished with tomatoes, lettuce, and
tihina sauce, are stuffed into aysh and sold on the street.
Ingredients :
-
2 cans (15-ounce each)
cooked fava beans
-
6 cloves garlic, or to
taste
-
1 teaspoon salt, or to
taste
-
1 Tablespoon lemon
juice, freshly squeezed
-
¼ cup olive oil
-
1½ Tablespoons parsley,
minced
-
Garnish, such as
radishes, hard-boiled eggs, chopped scallions, pita bread
(toasted and cut into wedges)
Procedure
-
Press the garlic cloves
through a garlic press into a medium bowl.
-
Mash the garlic and salt
together.
-
Next, add the lemon
juice, olive oil, and parsley to the garlic mixture and combine
thoroughly.
-
Drain the beans well,
rinse, and put beans into a large pot over low heat.
-
Add garlic mixture and
stir with a wooden spoon to combine thoroughly.
-
Serve warm with the
garnishes arranged on a platter.
-
Each person is served a
plateful of Ful Mudammas and adds the garnishes of his or
her choice.
Koshry

Egypt has a
vast selection of street foods. You might opt for a plain baked
potato served from an oven on back of a cart, followed by a sticky
pastry from the vendor to his right. Or you might head over to a
store front to pick up a shawarma - the local variant of gyros or
donner kebab, strips of meat shaved off into a pitta and topped with
tahina. There are plenty of impromptu juice bars around to supply
you with a fresh orange to slake your thirst.
One meal that rapidly became a favourite with me and my friends was
koshary (or kushari). This was not something that I had ever come
across before, but proved to be cheap, filling, and tasty. It is
also free of meat... though whether that means it is 100% suitable
for vegetarians is a matter on which I would not like to speculate.
Koshary joints are backstreet affairs selling only the one dish.
At its most basic level, koshary is nothing more than a mixture of
macaroni, rice, noodles, lentils and onion. Dished out from the one
large bowl you are then free to top your meal off with a tomato-ey
sauce, chilli sauce, and vinegar. And it is great.
. You might as well for the large, as the prices are LE5 and LE3
respectively (equivalent to 50p or 30p in sterling). However, I can
genuinely recommend koshary for those who are short on cash, those
who want to experience genuine Egyptian street life.
Koushari
(Lentils, Macaroni, Rice, and Chickpeas)
Ingredients
-
1 cup lentils
-
1 teaspoon salt
-
1 cup elbow macaroni
-
1 cup rice
-
1 can (15-ounce)
chickpeas (also called ceci)
-
2 Tablespoons olive oil SAUCE
-
1 cup canned tomato
puree
-
¼ cup olive oil
-
2 onions
-
1 garlic clove, or to
taste
Procedure
-
Prepare lentils:
Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse thoroughly. Place them in
a large saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt.
-
Heat until the water
begins to boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for about 1 hour
until lentils are tender. Drain and set the lentils aside.
-
Prepare the macaroni:
Fill the same saucepan with water (add salt if desired). Heat
until the water begins to boil.
-
Add the macaroni and
boil about 12 to 15 minutes, until macaroni is tender. Drain and
set the macaroni aside. (It is okay to combine the macaroni and
lentils.)
-
Prepare the rice:
Heat the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in the same saucepan. Add
the rice and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, thoroughly coating the
rice with oil.
-
Add 2 cups of water and
heat until the water begins to boil. Cover the saucepan and
simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and
allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
-
Assemble koushari:
Drain chickpeas and rinse. Add chickpeas, lentils, and macaroni
to cooked rice and toss very gently with a fork.
-
Make sauce:
Peel the onions and cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each half
crosswise into thin slices.
-
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in
a skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring often with a wooden
spoon, until onions are golden brown.
-
Add garlic clove and
cook 1 or 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato puree and heat until
bubbly.
-
Now pour the sauce over
the lentil mixture and heat over very low heat for about 5
minutes, until completely warm.
-
Serve with pita bread.
EGYPTIAN MEALS
Egyptian beginning from
the ancient Egyptian time until now. The Egyptian basic food is made
from the main crops like Vegetables , fruits, fish, bread. There are
many types of bread, including pastries and cakes. Although the
ancient Egyptian did not write down their recipes, many of which are
still used in Egypt today .
Kufta
& kebabs

The Egyptian way of making kebabs is to season chunks of lamb in
onion, marjoram, and lemon juice and then roast them on a spit over
an open fire. Kufta is ground lamb flavored with spices and onions
which is rolled into long narrow "meatballs" and roasted like kebab.
Pork is considered unclean by Muslims, but is readily available, as
is beef.
is another widely appreciated dish that consists of " Kebab
", beef cut up in squares, seasoned in onion, lemon juice and herbs,
and cooked on an open fire . " Kofta " is ground beef cooked on
skewers and grilled .
Molokhiya

is a leafy, green, summer
vegetable. It is a famous and
popular dish in Egypt. The green soup can be eaten either with rice
or bread. It is usually served with chicken in Egypt .
Potatoes
(bataatis)

are usually fried but can
also be boiled or stuffed.
Rice and bread
(Al
– Fatta)

form the bulk of Egyptian main courses, which may be served either
as lunch or dinner. For most Egyptians, meat is a luxury used in
small amounts, cooked with vegetables, and served with or over rice,
but meat dishes comprise most restaurant fare.
Torly

a mixed-vegetable casserole or stew, is usually made with lamb, or
occasionally with beef, onions, potatoes, beans, and peas.
Bamia
(Sweet and Sour Okra)

Ingredients
-
1 pound small okra pods
-
2 Tablespoons olive oil
-
1 Tablespoon honey
-
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
-
1 Tablespoon lemon
juice, freshly squeezed
-
½ cup water
chickens (firaakh)

are often scrawny and tough, imported fowl are plump, tender, and
tasty. You can order grilled chicken (firaakh mashwi) in a
restaurant or buy one already cooked at the street-side rotisseries
and fix your own meal.
Hamaam (pigeons)

are raised throughout Egypt, and when stuffed with seasoned rice and
grilled, constitute a national delicacy. They are small, so you will
need to order several; the best are usually served in small, local
restaurants where you may even have to give the cook a day's notice
(a good sign), but beware--hamaam are occasionally served
with their heads buried in the stuffing.
Sea food

Egyptians serve both freshwater and seagoing fish under the general
term of samak. The best fish seem to be near the coasts
(ocean variety) or in Aswan, where they are caught from Lake Nasser.
As well as the common bass and sole, try gambari (shrimp),
calamari (squid), gandofli (scallops), and ti'baan (eel).
The latter, a white meat with a delicate salmon flavoring, can be
bought on the street already deep-fried.
Wara' enab , Kohlrabi :
Mahshy

Egyptians stuff green vegetables with
mixtures of rice. wara' enab, for example, is made form boiled grape
leaves filled with small amounts of spiced rice with or without
ground meat.
Makarona
with Bashmeel

Ingredients:
EL
BASAHAMEL:
-
1 CUP OF MILK
-
1 CUP OF CHICKEN SOUP
-
2 BS FLOUR
-
2 BS BUTTER
-
SALT
-
PEPPER
EL ASAG:
-
1/4 Kg OF GROUND BEEF
-
1 B ONION
-
SALT
-
PEPPER
MACARONI:
Cooking:
MACARONI:
EL BASHAMIL
EL ASAG
-
GRAND THE ONION
-
FRY THE ONION WITH BUTTER
-
AND THEN ADD THE GROUND MEAT TO THE
ONION AND COOK TOGETHER
-
LEAVE ON LOW TEMPERATURE TELL IT COOK
YOU MAY ADD A LITTLE BIT OF WATER TO COOK.
ALL TOGETHER
ADD 2 BS. OFF BASHAMEL TO THE MACARONI
AND MIX IT TOGETHER
PUT THE FIRST LAYER OF MAKARONI AND THEN PUT THE COOKED GROUND
MEAT IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN THE REST OF THE MAKARONI AND THEN
PUT THE BASHAMEL ON THE TOP
PLACE IN THE OVEN AT 250 ON THE TOP
TILL IT GET LIGHT BROWNISH
Al -
Mesakaa

This is a popular dish in the eastern
Mediterranean.
Ingredients
-
1 kg eggplant
, sliced.
-
2 green
peppers.
-
2 onions.
-
4 tomatoes.
-
2 garlic
cloves, crushed.
-
1/3 kg minced
meat.
-
4 tablespoons
vegetable oil.
-
3 tablespoons
tomato paste.
-
Salt and
pepper.
Preparing meat
-
In a pan,
heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
-
Stir in one
chopped onion until yellow.
-
Add minced
meat, salt and pepper and stir.
-
Reduce heat,
cover pan and leave to cook.
Preparing tomato sauce
-
Slice 2
tomatoes and blend the rest with 1/4 cup
water.
-
In a
saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over
medium heat.
-
Add chopped
onion and garlic stirring frequently
until golden brown.
-
Add blended
tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/2 cup water,
salt and pepper.
-
Reduce heat
and leave to simmer.
Preparing mesakaa
-
Cut one green
pepper into thin slices.
-
Fry green
pepper in oil and set aside.
-
Fry eggplant
slices in oil until just golden.
-
Heat oven to
medium-high heat.
-
In a baking
dish, arrange eggplant slices at the
bottom making one layer then arrange
half quantity of green pepper slices and
some minced meat.
-
Arrange
another layer of eggplant.
-
Pour tomato
sauce over layers then add the rest of
minced meat to make a layer on top.
-
Arrange
tomato and the rest of green pepper
slices on surface.
-
Place in oven
and leave till cooked.
-
Serve hot or
cold.
|
Al –
kwaree'a

Trotter (kwaree'a)
are the feet of cow or sheep, etc. .. The preferred use of cow
Kaware small or medium-old - and Served with Egyptian Fatta with
Garlic
Al –
Bessara

Ingredients
-
1/2cup
Dried Broad Beans
-
1/2head
Garlic ,peeled
-
3 tbsp
Onions ,chopped
-
2 branches
Parsley ,chopped
-
2 tbsp Mint
,dried and crashed
-
1/4 cup
Corn Oil Crystal
-
Salt and
Pepper
Directions
-
Cover beans
with cold water and soak for 48 hours, changing water 2-3 times.
Drain and remove skin.
-
In a medium
deep pan put beans, garlic, 2 onions and parsley, cover with
water and bring to boil over low heat. Cover pan and leave to
simmer for 1 ½ hours until beans become soft stirring
occasionally.
-
Pour
components of pan into blender. Cover and blend at high speed
for 30 seconds until puréed and put back in pan.
-
Add salt,
pepper and mint and simmer for 5 minutes over low heat, then
leave to cool for 10 minutes.
-
Serve in
small bowls and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
-
Meanwhile,
in a medium skillet, heat oil and stir-fry the remaining onion
until dark brown.
-
Remove
bowls from refrigerator and garnish tops with fried onions.
Rice

(ruzz)is
often varied by cooking it with nuts, onions, vegetables, or small
amounts of meat. Ruzz (rice) is often varied by cooking it with
nuts, onions, vegetables, or small amounts of meat. Bataatis
(potatoes) are usually fried but can also be boiled or stuffed.
Egyptians stuff green vegetables with mixtures of rice; wara' enab,
for example, is made form boiled grape leaves filled with small
amounts of spiced rice with or without ground meat. Westerners often
know them by the Greek name of dolmadas or dolmas, but beware
ordering them by that name; in Egypt, doma refers to a mixture of
stuffed vegetables.
Cheese

Native cheese
(gibna) comes in two varieties: gibna beida, similar to feta, and
gibna rumy, a sharp, hard, pale yellow cheese. These are the ones
normally used in salads and sandwiches, but gouda, cheddar, bleu,
and other Western types are becoming available. Mish is a spiced,
dry cheese made into a paste and served as an hors d'oeuvre.
Gebna Makleyah (Oven-Fried Cheese)
Ingredients
-
1 cup firm feta cheese,
crumbled, or traditional Egyptian cheese such as labna or gebna
-
1 Tablespoon flour
-
1 egg
-
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
-
Olive oil
-
Lemon wedges and pita
bread cut into triangles, for serving
Soups And Salads
In addition to
molokhiyya, the Egyptians make a variety of meat (lahhma), vegetable
(khudaar), and fish (samak) soups known collectively as Shurbah, and
all are delicious. Salads (salata) can be made of greens, tomatoes,
potatoes, or eggs, as well as with beans and yogurt. Western-type
salad bars have come into vogue in larger cities, and here, for a
few pounds, you can make a whole meal of the fresh produce. Yogurt (laban
zabadi) is fresh and unflavored; you can sweeten if you wish with
honey, jams, preserves, or mint. It rests easy on an upset stomach.
Salads

(salata) can
be made of greens, tomatoes, potatoes, or eggs, as well as with
beans and yogurt.
Lettuce
Salad
Ingredients
-
1 small head of lettuce,
shredded
-
¾ cup orange juice
-
Pinch of salt
-
1½ teaspoons pepper, or
to taste
Lemon and Garlic Potato Salad
Ingredients
-
2 pounds of red
potatoes, scrubbed but with skin left on
-
½ cup parsley, chopped
-
4 garlic cloves, minced
-
Juice of 1½ lemons
-
1 Tablespoon vegetable
oil
-
Salt and pepper, to
taste
Soups

Lentil Soup
Ingredients
-
2
tablespoons olive oil
-
1 cup
finely chopped onion
-
1/2 cup
finely chopped carrot
-
1/2 cup
finely chopped celery
-
2
teaspoons kosher salt
-
1 pound
lentils, picked and rinsed
-
1 cup
peeled and chopped tomatoes
-
2 quarts
chicken or vegetable broth
-
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground coriander
-
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground toasted cumin
-
1/2
teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise
Instructions
Place the
olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat.
Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the
onions are translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the
lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise
and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a
boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until
the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a
stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Serve
immediately.
Fruit

In Egypt a
multitude of fresh fruits are available year-round, but since all
are tree- or vine-ripened, only those in season appear in suqs
(markets) or on vendors' stands. In the winter, mohz (bananas),
balah (dates), and burtu'aan (any of several varieties of oranges)
appear. Special treats are burtu'aan bedammoh (pink oranges), whose
skin looks like most oranges, but their pulp is red and sweet. The
Egyptian summer is blessed with battiikh (melon), khukh (peach),
berkuk (plum), and 'anub (grapes). Tin shawki is a cactus fruit that
appears in August or September.
Nuts
Goz
(nuts) and mohamas (dried seeds) are popular snack foods in Egypt,
and vendors can be found selling them nearly anywhere. All are
tasty; try bundok (hazelnuts), loz (almonds), or
fuzdo (pistachios). If you like peanuts, the ful sudani
are especially tasty in Aswan.
Desserts

Egyptian
desserts of pastry or puddings are usually drenched in honey syrup.
They include " Fetir " ( pies) stuffed with a variety
of fillings such as cream, nuts or fruits , " Roz Be Laban "
( pudding made with rice and milk ),Baklava
(filo dough, honey, and nuts) is one of the less sweet; fatir
are pancakes stuffed with everything from eggs to apricots; and
basbousa, quite sweet, is made of semolina pastry soaked in
honey and topped with hazelnuts. Umm ali, a delight named for
Mamluk queen, is raisin cake soaked in milk and served hot.
Kanafa is a dish of batter "strings" fried on a hot grill and
stuffed with nuts, meats, or sweets. Egyptian rice pudding is called
mahallabiyya and is served topped with pistachios.
French-style pastries are called gatoux. Good chocolate
candies are likewise difficult to find, though Western-style candy
bars are beginning to make their appearance.
Chocolate Egyptian Cake

Cream shortening ; add sugar and cream together. Blend in egg yolks
and mix until creamy. Heat water, stir in cocoa, and pour into
shortening /sugar
Ingredients: 14 (cocoa .. coffee .. flour .. milk .. salt .. sugar
...)
Ice Cream

The Egyptian ice cream runs closer to ice milk or sherbet
than cream. Most restaurants and many homes serve fresh fruits for
desserts, and it makes a perfect, light conclusion to most meals.
Bouzat haleeb or ice cream is a
totally different experience from the rich American ice cream. Its
quite light and gummy in texture. It actually stretches a bit as you
spoon it. Misika (Arabic gum) and shalab (an extract from the tubers
of orchids) can be found in most Mid-Eastern markets
Yogurt

(laban
zabadi) is fresh and unflavored, you can sweeten if you wish
with honey, jams, preserves, or mint. It rests easy on an upset
stomach.
Khoshaf

Ingredients
-
1 cup dried prunes
-
1 cup dried apricots
-
1 cup dried small figs,
halved
-
1½ cups raisins
-
1 cup sugar, or to taste
-
2½ cups boiling water
Egyptian
Drinks

In Egypt , you can taste different kind of
drink s . Popular drinks in Egypt include hot drinks like tea
with mint, Turkish coffee , Nescafe, American
Coffee, hot chocolate, and different infusions such as "
Karkadeh " ( hibiscus) that could be drunk hot or cold , "
Yansoun " ( Aniis ), " Erfa Bel Laban " ( Cinnamon with
milk) are also offered at any cafe, restaurant, and hotels. We have
also cold drinks like fresh Juice such as mango, peach, banana ,
strawberry, orange, apple, tomatoes, lemon, and other different
kinds of fruits .
Although Egypt
is Muslim country, wine and beer are also offered but in the hotels
. Wine was known since the ancient Egyptian people before 3000 BCE.
Moreover the ancient Egyptian used to drink wine and beer on feasts
.
If you’re in the mood to try something exotic, then you should
definitely have a " Shisha " in Egypt ( the water-pipe or
arguileh ). Shishas are served at various cafés, and there are
different flavors, so if you try a shisha, make sure you explore all
the different flavors available like apple, pin apple, pear,
Cabatsheno , and other flavors.
Coffee

Developed and
popularized in the Middle East, the drinking of ahwa (coffee)
remains a national tradition, and local coffeehouses still cater to
men who come to drink coffee, discuss politics, play tawla
(backgammon), listen to "Oriental" (Egyptian) music, and smoke the
shiisha (water pipe). Although the traditional poetry and
high-powered politics have migrated to fancy homes and offices, the
coffee remains. You will also be offered the thick, strong, but
tasty brew in homes, offices, and bazaar shops. Turkish coffee is
made from finely powdered beans brewed in a small pot. As the water
just begins to boil, the grounds float to the surface in a dark
foam; the ahwa is brought to you still in the pot and poured into a
demitasse. The heavier grounds sink to the bottom of the cup and the
lighter ones form a foam on the top, the mark of a perfectly brewed
cup. Sip carefully to avoid the grounds in the bottom of the cup.
(If you don't like the foam, you can blow it aside under the guise
of cooling your drink.)
Although
Turkish coffee has a reputation for being tart, its actual flavor
depends on the mix of beans used in the grind; the larger the
percentage of Arabica, the sweeter and more chocolate flavor. Ahwa
comes in several versions: ahwa sada is black, ahwa ariha is lightly
sweetened with sugar, ahwa mazboot is moderately sweetened, and
ahwaziyada is very sweet. You must specify the amount of sugar at
the time you order, for it's sweetened in the pot. Most people order
mazboot, which cuts the tartness; ahwa is never served with cream.
Most hotel and restaurant breakfasts include strong French coffee
usually called Nescafe; you may have to specially order it with
sugar (bil sukkar) or milk (bil laban).
Ahwa
comes in several versions:
ahwa sada is black, ahwa ariha is lightly sweetened with sugar, ahwa
mazboot is moderately sweetened, and ahwaziyada is very sweet. You
must specify the amount of sugar at the time you order, for it's
sweetened in the pot. Ahwa is never served with cream.
Tea
And Other Hot Drinks

Egyptians adopted the custom of formal afternoon tea from the native
Arabians, and it's served with milk, lemon, and sugar on the side.
The domestic or Bedouin version of
shay
is boiled rather than steeped and is often saturated with sugar;
this strong tea is served in glasses. A refreshing change from
after-dinner coffee is shay bil
na'na'
or Shai (Mint Tea) and Baklava.; dried mint is mixed with tea leaves
and the mixture is brewed like regular tea .
Kakoow
bil laban (hot chocolate) is available during the winter, as is
Sahlab,
a thick liquid that tastes like a cross between Ovaltine and
oatmeal.
Karkaday,
a clear, bright red, native drink especially popular in the south,
is made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers, sweetened to taste, and
served either hot or cold; the locals claim this delicious drink
calms the nerves.
Cold
Drinks

Bottled water (mayya
ma'daniyya) is available in all areas frequented by tourists;
both large and small bottles are sold on the street and from ice
buckets at most of the antiquities sites. Be sure the cap is sealed.
Mayya shurb or mayya ahday (drinking water) is safe in most
metropolitan areas.
A delectable
treat in Egypt are the fresh fruit juices (asiir) available
at small stalls throughout Egypt. The shopkeepers blend the whole
fruit and small amounts of ice and sugar water and then strain this
mash into your glass--the resulting drinks have been described as
ambrosia. Juices, which are made from fruits in season, include
farawla (strawberry), manga (mango), mohz (banana),and
burtu'aan (orange) and are especially welcome in hot weather.
In addition to pure fruit juices, you can also get them made of
vegetables such as khiyar (cucumber), tamaatim (tomato),
and gazar (carrot). For a new experience, experiment with
some of their combination drinks: nuss wa nuss (carrot and orange),
an unexpectedly delightful concoction, or mohz bi-laban, a blend of
bananas and milk; an Egyptian milkshake. Asiir lamoon,
common throughout Egypt, is a strong, sweet version of lemonade. In
the past few years canned and packaged juices have become common,
but their flavor cannot compare with the freshly made varieties.
Western soft
drinks are ubiquitous in Egypt, but most are domestically bottled.
You can find Schweppes, Fanta, Seven-Up, Coke, and Pepsi; club soda
is also available, but Collins mix is nearly nonexistent. If you buy
from street-side vendors, you're expected to drink the soda right
there and return the bottle; if you want to take a bottle with you,
you'll have to pay for it.
Mezze

These small
dishes of various forms are usually served with drinks. Those
resembling dips are made with Tihina, an oil paste of sesame seeds.
Tihina mixed with oil and seasoned with garlic or chili and lemon
can be served alone, but when combined with mashed eggplant and
served as a dip or sauce for salads, its called Baba-Ghanoug. In
Alexandria, chickpeas are added to the Tihina to make hummus bi
Ttihina. Tihina also forms the base for many general-purpose sauces
served with fish and meats and replaces mayonnaise on Egyptian
sandwiches. Turshi includes a variety of vegetables soaked in spicy
brine--it's always good with beer.
Shopping
For food

The easiest way
to stretch your food budget is to patronize the local stands and
suqs, buying fresh fruit and vegetables you can eat raw. The prices
are normally posted in Arabic and are fixed. Since there is no
bargaining involved, you can just point to what you want, indicate
how many or how much, and hold out your money; most vendors and
small storekeepers are scrupulously honest. Small, local grocery
stores occupy nearly every street corner and sell canned goods,
preserves, bread, cheese, and soda pop as well as staples at
government fixed prices. If the local grocery doesn't stock beer,
there is probably a store nearby that does; ask. Here or at the
brewery you can buy Stella by the case. Bakeries supply various
types of bread and pastries at fixed prices.

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