National cuisine of Egypt. What to try: Egyptian cuisine Egyptian dishes

Egyptians love to eat delicious food and happily treat everyone to their national delicacies. Getting acquainted with Arabic cuisine will not leave strict vegetarians, meat lovers, or sweet tooths dissatisfied and indifferent. Only pork lovers might be a little upset. Here this meat is prohibited and dishes using it are prepared only in some tourist restaurants operating at hotel complexes.

We present to your attention an overview of the most interesting delicacies of national Egyptian cuisine, description best restaurants at the most popular resorts, as well as some recommendations on how to behave at the table in Egypt so as not to offend anyone.

Treats for vegetarians

If for us bread is everything, then for the Egyptians local beans are considered one of the main products. Here they are fried, boiled, eaten raw, and sauces, spices and other products are added to them.

Egyptian housewives know many ways to use beans in cooking:

they are mixed with olive or ghee;
mixed with sesame paste;
sprinkle with chopped tomatoes;
sprinkle with lemon juice;
seasoned with caraway seeds.

The beans can be served as a meal on their own, wrapped in local bread, and presented in a variety of other variations.

One of the most delicious dishes using local beans is falafil. This delicious dish is very easy to prepare. First, the beans are thoroughly kneaded, then mixed with seasonings and fried.

Another favorite Arabic dish is kushari. The following ingredients are used to prepare it: rice, fried onions, lentils, noodles, tomato sauce. If you wish, you can add a little garlic and vinegar to the kushari - it will be spicier.

And today’s vegetarian menu ends with a dish called molokhiya - a delicious thick soup prepared from a local leaf vegetable. By the way, meat lovers will also like molokhiya - the soup goes well with rabbit and chicken.

Molokhiya - green soup

Meat "delicacies"

Visiting Egypt and not trying the local pilaf is a big mistake. The Arabs have it very tasty and a little different from what it is in Russia. IN local restaurants This dish is prepared with the addition of chicken liver and mushrooms.

Makhvi - fried pigeon

Another exotic dish is camel liver or even a whole lamb roasted on a spit.

Desserts and sweets

There are many desserts in Egypt and they are all very tasty. Among the variety of sweets, try to pay attention to the following delicacies:

Don’t forget about various Turkish delights, candied nuts, fruits, halva, etc.

Among other Arabic treats that are not included in any of the above sections, it should be noted:

local wines;
khushaf – delicious drink and dates;
Baladi bread;
freshly ground coffee with added cardamom;
Bryndza gibna domiati.

In a word, you definitely won’t go hungry in Egypt.

Where to eat?

Public catering in the Arab state is developed not just well, but remarkably. There is everything here: from small street stalls to fashionable restaurants. We will not consider fast food chains - they are practically no different from Russian ones. And if possible, you should not eat at street stalls - many of them are unsanitary, and hardly anyone would want to play the “lottery” with their own stomach.

We offer you an overview good restaurants with delicious Arabic cuisine and affordable prices: one for each popular Egyptian resort.

Both visitors and tourists love to eat here. local residents, which is an excellent recommendation. When you come to this restaurant, be sure to try molokeya - this thick green soup is a specialty here.

Among other interesting treats, we should mention stuffed pigeon – Abou El Sid’s chefs prepare it truly masterfully.

The establishment is located in Zamalek - this is a cozy and fairly calm area of the Egyptian capital. But the advantages of the restaurant are not limited to the convenient location alone - the prices are also very pleasing. For only $25-35 per person you can enjoy delicious traditional cuisine.

Abu Ashraf in Alexandria

The hallmark of this popular Alexandria restaurant is delicious grilled fish, the delicious aroma of which is felt far beyond the pale. The staff at Abu Ashraf are friendly, polite and courteous. The waiters will be happy to help you if you cannot choose the dishes you want from the rich menu here.

The restaurant has a signature feature: the fish chosen by the client is weighed and cooked right in front of him. Various soups are also very tasty here.

Africa in Luxor

Having had enough of walking around various memorable places, be sure to check out the Africa restaurant. It is best to do this in the evening, when the heat in the area subsides and the sun is approaching sunset - this way you can comfortably sit at a table on the roof of the establishment and admire the Nile while tasting delicious dishes of traditional Egyptian cuisine.

The local chefs prepare food in accordance with local traditions: in clay pots and over an open fire. Recommendations include meat with rice and vegetables and cold wine. For the rest, be guided by your preferences. If possible, visit Africa more often and try different dishes - affordable prices allow you to do this.

One of the most famous resort restaurants. There are local and international dishes. The main emphasis is on fish and a variety of seafood. Specialties: steak with spicy garlic butter, lamb chops and baked grouper.

Important! Book your table at Dananeer in advance – free seats It almost never happens here.

Wonderful restaurant on the coast. The spacious terrace of the establishment offers a beautiful view of the neighboring island.

Egyptian dishes are prepared very tasty here and offered to guests at fairly reasonable prices. low prices. Meat lovers should definitely order the mixed grill - this is a complex dish of kofta, veal and lamb. Served with a delicious salad and fries.

Food culture in Egypt

The local population has long been accustomed to tourists and for the most part does not pay attention to their behavior at the table. But if you want to show yourself as a well-mannered person who respects local traditions, remember a few simple recommendations and follow them during your Egyptian holiday.

First of all, know: Arabs love not only to eat tasty and hearty food, but also to smoke. However, smoking is allowed in almost every restaurant here. Even finding an establishment with a non-smoking room is quite difficult, and telling an Egyptian not to smoke at the table is considered impolite and disrespectful.

Secondly, be prepared: you will be offered bread with almost every dish. They just love him very much in Egypt. Even if you don't eat baked goods at all, don't be surprised when someone in the local population starts using bread as cutlery. But don’t worry: spoons, forks and knives are also present in local restaurants.

Thirdly, in Egypt it is customary for the person invited to dinner to insist on paying the bill. Of course, no one will force you to pay for everyone, but you shouldn’t sit and remain silent either - it’s impolite. And no one will immediately agree with your proposal. Usually, each participant in the meal insists that he must pay the bill, with the result that the dispute over this issue often lasts longer than the dinner itself. The most persistent one usually “wins.”

Egypt is not only a multitude the most beautiful beaches, interesting sights and luxury hotels. The local cuisine is also full of surprises and unusual discoveries. You learned about the most delicious Arabic dishes and the places where they are best prepared.

Bon appetit!

Table. Popular restaurants in Egyptian resorts

Restaurant name	Address	Average bill per person
Abou El Sid	Cairo 157 26th of July St	Up to $20-25
Abu Ashraf	Alexandria, Anfushi, Safar Pasha st., 28	Up to $20-25
Africa	Luxor, West Bank, Gezira st.	Up to $20-25
Dananeer	Hussein Salem, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt	$25-50
Felfela	Sheraton Rd., Sekalla, Hurghada, Egypt	Up to $20-25

Video – Egyptian Cuisine

Egyptian national, traditional cuisine is, first of all, a huge amount of seasonings that the Egyptians love very much, but which, unfortunately, not every stomach of an unusual person can withstand. Meat is usually richly seasoned with hot spices, but it is most often cooked with vegetables, since the Egyptians especially revere vegetable dishes. Those dishes that do not have such a voluminous share of hot spices are seasoned with spices that emit a strong herbal aroma.

Salads in Egyptian recipes are prepared only from the freshest vegetables (often with the addition of sausage or meat). Very often there are salads that contain beans or eggplants. Traditional Egyptian dishes are seasoned with olive oil, which, unlike mayonnaise, is not harmful to health. Salads are also seasoned with lemon juice or vinegar.

Cereals, garlic, onions, herbs and fermented milk products are very popular in Egypt. A large number of hard cheeses. It’s worth mentioning Egyptian bread, which I also use as a spoon. Bread soaked in various sauces is sometimes even served as a main course. The most delicious desserts in the world are Egyptian. They are sickly sweet thanks to the addition of honey, nuts, butter, and a wide variety of fruits.

"Egyptian cuisine" - the best recipes

Modern Egyptian cuisine borrowed most of its meat dishes from the Turks. Basically these are Turkish kebabs that have undergone some metamorphosis.

Kofta and pastrami

The number one meat dish is kofta, which is almost no different from our classic cutlets. Minced meat is mixed with onions and fried in the oven or over an open fire. Sometimes rice is added to the kofta, and it becomes similar to our classic meatballs.

Pastrami is dried meat. Drying technology is actively used in hot countries to preserve meat. It is believed that the Turks brought the fashion of drying meat to Egypt.

The next dish is kebda, which is liver fried with spices. A very tasty dish. If you don’t like liver, then try this dish, your attitude towards this product will probably change.

Bean dishes

Legumes have been an important part of the Egyptian diet since ancient times, as little meat was eaten in Egypt. The human body needs protein, and in addition to meat it can be found in legumes or mushrooms, which are almost never found in Egypt.

The most famous legume dish is lentil soup.

Sweets

Egyptian cuisine inherited most of the sweet dishes from the kitchen Ottoman Empire. In Egypt they prepare baklava, halva and lokum, the difference with similar Turkish dishes is minimal.

However, Egypt has its own national sweet - basbousa. It is believed that this dish was born in Egypt, and only then was borrowed from other oriental cuisines.

Basbousa is a pie made from semolina and sugar or fruit syrup. This dish is very similar to our manna, only very sweet, often even too sweet for the taste of Russians. Basbousa is cut into diamond-shaped pieces, and each piece is topped with a nut.

The second national dessert of Egypt is Om Ali. This dish is made from cream, bread, sugar and raisins. Read the details in our article “”.

Unfortunately, most Egyptian hotels prefer to prepare dishes for guests that are close to European in composition. Tourists return from Egypt without trying even half of the dishes we describe in this article.

On this sad note we will have to end our review of Egyptian cuisine. Read our other interesting articles about Egypt ( links below).

Egyptian cuisine is not very diverse. It is not as complex as French or Italian cuisines, and also not as heavy as some of the cuisines Persian Gulf. It also does not rely on great amount spices Egyptian cuisine is very simple, and this simplicity makes it very tasty.

In addition to its own culinary traditions, Egyptian cuisine has incorporated features neighboring countries: Greece, Turkey, Libya, Lebanon, Syria.

Characteristic Products

Food of plant origin

Most Egyptian dishes have been based on vegetables and legumes for many millennia. Mainly because vegetables are much cheaper than meat. The most popular vegetables in Egypt, besides beans: cauliflower, potatoes, eggplants, zucchini, okra, sweet and hot peppers, onions, as well as the little-known rhizomes of the tropical cocassia plant.

In addition to vegetables, a wide variety of greens are widely used in Egyptian cuisine: from the familiar parsley, dill, cilantro, mint, green onions, leeks, thyme, celery, sorrel to exotic molokhia leaves ( molokhiya), which is also called Egyptian spinach for its high content of vitamins and minerals.

Meat and fish

Thanks to his geographical location, Egyptian cuisine is rich in fish, shrimp, and squid.

In addition, poultry meat is quite popular in Egyptian cuisine, and pigeon meat is considered a special delicacy. This is unusual for us, but in Egypt pigeons are bred everywhere, there are small dovecotes even in restaurants.

The meat of large animals is practically not used in Egyptian everyday cuisine; only on major holidays such as a wedding, the birth of a son, or the purchase of a house in Egypt, a sheep is slaughtered. Cow in ancient Egypt was considered a sacred animal, which is why there are no beef dishes in Egyptian cuisine. The situation is similar with pork, the consumption of which is prohibited here by Muslim laws.

Dairy

Dairy products, along with legumes and vegetables, form the basis of Egyptian cuisine. Goat and buffalo milk is most often used; cow milk is less popular here. There is also a type of milk that is exotic for us - camel milk, very thick and fatty, more reminiscent of thick cream.

Cheeses also occupy a significant place in Egyptian cuisine. The most popular Egyptian cheese is Domyati, named after the Egyptian city of Dumyat. This is a soft pickled cheese that is eaten both fresh and mature, aged for two to three months. Domiati cheese is made mainly from buffalo or cow's milk, but there are also options from goat, sheep or camel milk; here, unlike similar European cheeses, salt is added directly to the milk, before adding rennet. This cheese has a sharply salted taste and a brittle structure.

Spices

Spices have been very popular in Egyptian cuisine since ancient Egypt. The most commonly used spices are anise, cumin, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander, saffron, ginger, and bay leaf. All types of pepper are very popular: hot chili, black, white, green, both ground and peas. It was the Egyptians who began to use cinnamon many centuries ago.

Traditional dishes

Bread

Bread is a mandatory attribute of all meals. The main types of bread are flatbreads: Aish baladi, made from coarse wheat flour, and Aish Shamsi, made from white flour.

Hawashi is a bread flatbread stuffed with meat.

Shami bread is a traditional Egyptian flatbread served with molokhiya soup.

Soups

Soups in Egyptian cuisine are prepared using both vegetable broths and poultry, fish or meat broths. Puree soups made from various vegetables are quite popular: tomato, lentil.

Shorba is a thick lentil soup that was inherited by the Egyptians as a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. Egyptian cuisine has its own peculiarities of its preparation. Interestingly, the word Shorba in Egypt now refers to soups in general.

Mlokhia is a soup made from dried leaves of the plant of the same name, with the addition of chicken. Served with rice or flatbread and canned vegetables (mekhalel).

Khudar Bi l Mavasir - stew with vegetables in meat broth.

Ful Nabet - soup made from sprouted beans.

Shorba Khudar Bil Mawasir - egg soup with rice.

Main courses

Koshari (also called Kushari or Kosheri) is a traditional and very popular dish in Egypt made from lentils, rice and pasta, seasoned with vinegar and tomato sauce.

Foul is a legume dish that Egyptians eat mainly for breakfast. The classic version is made from beans with olive oil, lemon and spices. It's called Ful Medames. But there are many different variations of it with all sorts of additives: sprouted beans with herbs - Fulia Bil Khodra, beans stewed with tomatoes and hot peppers - Ful Bil Tamatem wa el Felfel, beans stewed with butter - Ful Bil Zebda, stewed with butter and lemon beans - Ful Bi l Zet Bi l Laymun.

Fatta is a traditional Egyptian dish, originally from Arab cuisine (“fatta” means crumbs in Arabic). This is a very satisfying dish in which rice is placed on a flatbread, then pieces of meat and vegetable sauce with broth is poured on top. Served with vegetable salad of tomatoes and cucumbers. This dish is very filling and tasty. It is prepared only on major holidays, for weddings, and for the birth of the first child.

Shakshuka - eggs baked on a bed of fried tomatoes.

Hamine - eggs boiled with onion skins and cut in half. Served with salt, pepper and a slice of lemon.

Mahshi is another traditional and favorite dish among Egyptians. It is vegetables stuffed with rice. A variety of vegetables are used: from zucchini, eggplant, potatoes to cabbage and grape leaves.

Pigeon stuffed with rice and baked on coals is also one of the varieties of Mahshi. This is a separate dish worth mentioning. Each Egyptian housewife has her own recipe for cooking pigeon. The head is considered the most delicious part of the dish.

Fytyr is a traditional Egyptian pie, something like a cross between pizza and pancakes. They are prepared with a wide variety of fillings, ranging from cheese and vegetables to sugar and honey.

Kofta - meatballs.

Shawarma is made from lamb or chicken.

Salads and snacks

Taamiya is similar to falafel, usually served in sandwiches with tomatoes and pickles.

Munkachina is a salad of oranges, onions and olives, dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mekhalel is the Egyptian version of canned vegetables.

Hummus is a chickpea puree that is usually eaten as a snack with flatbread or pita bread.

Dukkah is a mixture of nuts with herbs and spices that can serve as an independent snack or as an addition to the main dish.

Dessert

When preparing desserts in Egyptian cuisine, nuts and honey are mainly used.

Umm Ali (Om Ali / Oum Ali) - pieces of puff pastry with raisins, nuts and coconut, baked under hot milk with sugar and whipped cream.

Mehalabiya is a tender milky rice pudding with honey, butter and nuts.

Sweet Gullesh is a dessert made from stretched phyllo dough with custard. Similar to baklava, but a little less sweet.

Hegazeya is a pie made from yeast dough filled with sweet semolina, ground nuts and cinnamon.

Fytyr is a puff pastry pie with custard.

Beverages

Hibiscus tea - business card Egypt, here they drink it always and everywhere, hot and cold. It perfectly quenches thirst and is a very healthy drink, tonic and invigorating. Another amazing property of hibiscus is that when cold it can reduce blood pressure, and when hot it can increase it.

Bedouin herbal tea, which is brewed from lemongrass growing there, is also popular, as is herbal tea with mint.

Coffee is also quite common in Egypt. Most often you can find Bedouin coffee. Arabica is brewed in a jug with a narrow neck for 18-20 hours in hot sand. The result is a thick, viscous, very strong drink that is drunk with water. Another popular option is Arabic, when coffee is brewed in a Turk.

Special mention should be made of date milk (Khushaf), a favorite delicacy among Egyptians. Dried dates are poured with boiling buffalo milk and infused for 2-3 hours. This makes a delicious sweet milkshake.

Alcohol

Strong alcohol is practically not consumed in Egypt, with the exception of tourist areas. This is due to the fact that the country's population is almost entirely Muslim. And also with the fact that at the legislative level there is a restriction on the number of producers of alcoholic beverages. There are only three of them here. They are made from strong drinks - vodka, rum and whiskey, which taste similar to each other, red and white wine, tart and sour in taste. Beer is also gaining popularity; there are several brands: Heiniken, Sakara, Stella, Luxor, as well as fortified Meister.

Serving and etiquette

Recipes

Khushaf is date milk, a traditional and favorite drink in Egypt for both children and adults. It is very good to drink in the morning; it works as an energy drink, energizing and toning the body. In addition, this drink contains many vitamins and minerals, contains no sugar at all, and at the same time...

Mlokhia is a traditional Egyptian soup made from the leaves of the molokhia plant and chicken. The root of molokhia is called molokh (mlokh) and translated means king. Accordingly, molokhiya is translated as “royal”. In ancient Egypt, this dish was very popular among kings. Therefore, molokhia was prepared for major holidays. It is usually served with traditional Egyptian flatbreads...

African cuisine is full of pungent, attractively aromatic, spicy flavors.

Of course, the culinary features of preparing dishes in the ancient state were greatly influenced by Europe, whose countries colonized Egypt for many years, but the Egyptians managed to preserve the unique differences of African cuisine and the oriental kaleidoscope of amazing tastes is still inherent in the traditional dishes of this country.

Features of the national cuisine of Egypt

The variety of dishes that are traditionally prepared in Egypt can impress even a sophisticated gourmet. It doesn’t matter what kind of cuisine a tourist who comes to Egypt is a fan of, in this country, for meat lovers, people who prefer fish dishes, people with a sweet tooth, and strict vegetarians, the national cuisine is able to offer such culinary masterpieces that they will become the “swan song” of taste. The only limitation that lovers of delicious food will have to face is the lack of dishes made from pork in the assortment of culinary dishes, because the majority of Egyptians profess Islam.

It is worth noting that the chefs of Egypt attach great importance to the thermal and chemical processing of food, since in the hot climate of Africa it is difficult to preserve food in a suitable and safe form for consumption, so the chefs of this country prepare all kinds of marinades using a large number of spices and with high quality, with all conscientiousness , fry the meat.

The peculiarity of Egyptian cuisine is not so much the list of dishes as the order in which they are served on the table in compliance with all the traditions of the feast. There is everyday cuisine, there is festive cuisine, and the main meal of the day, where the tables are crowded with an abundance of gastronomic delicacies, is dinner.

Egyptian bread

The basis of Egypt's national cuisine is bread, or rather bread cakes. It is interesting that in every Egyptian restaurant they are prepared in their own way, with a special recipe, baked independently and served warm, convex and voluminous in shape.

The traditional bread in Egypt is baladi bread (aish baladi) - a round flatbread made from wholemeal flour and rolled in finely ground wheat, which exudes a delicate aroma. Baladian bread is stuffed with various foods and during the meal it is dipped in pastes made from olive oil seasoned with garlic and eggplant, or Turkish nuts, sesame seeds. The most delicious flatbreads in the country include bread made from white flour.

Meat, poultry and fish dishes

Meat is prepared in small quantities in Egyptian kitchens, and meat dishes are served with rice or vegetables. A very tasty dish is torly, made from beef or lamb, highlighted by vegetable goulash seasoned with onions and marjoram, which is sprinkled with a little lemon juice.

A very popular dish is kofta - these are meatballs put on skewers, which are made from minced meat with onions and spices that highlight the taste of this dish. Egyptian delicacies include kebabs - kebabs made from poultry or well-marinated meat. Pastrami will appeal to lovers of smoked meat; it is prepared from dried beef rolled in a thick layer of all kinds of spices. The tarbe dish is interesting for its varied taste - it is a lamb or veal stomach stuffed with meat.

You should definitely try chicken prepared according to the Cairo recipe in Egyptian restaurants. The marinated poultry is first boiled, then thoroughly coated with sweet honey and then brought to full readiness in a hot oven.

There are many fish dishes prepared in Egypt, the variety of recipes is impressive, but the national preparation of fish includes the excellent “grilled fish” dish. Several deep cuts are made on freshly caught fish, spices are rubbed into the meat, and the resulting semi-finished product is thoroughly fried on the grill.

Soups and salads

There are many soups prepared in Egyptian kitchens; interesting dishes include molokheyya cream soup, made from chicken, garlic, all kinds of vegetables and herbs. Lentil stew, which in Egypt is called chorba, and shepherd's stew, called kra-chobu in the menu, are very tasty. Egyptian chefs prepare ful medames soup from local beans.
National Egyptian snacks

The main Egyptian snack, without a doubt, is tahini puree, made from conscientiously grated sesame seeds, which are mixed with white cumin and vegetable oil. This appetizer is served at the very beginning of the meal and a flatbread is dipped into tahini paste. Pasta is so popular in Egypt that many tourists note that the entire cuisine of the country is literally fragrant with cumin.

Many dishes from vegetables are prepared in Egypt, and tourists can try not only fresh vegetables, but also pickled and spicy-tasting natural gifts. For example, in Egyptian kitchens, torshi salad is prepared from pickled vegetables, and a mixture of tomatoes, onions and parsley, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice is called tabulah salad. Rolled grape leaves into which minced meat and rice are placed are delicious. This dish is called wara inab and it is served both cold and hot.

The daily diet of an Egyptian necessarily includes beans, which are prepared here according to various recipes. The most original dishes include the “bean burger,” that is, small cutlets made deep-fried from ground beans, to which coriander, spices and garlic are added.

Egyptians love black tea and Turkish coffee, but they especially prefer to drink a sour drink made from the leaves of the Sudanese rose, called hibiscus. This drink normalizes blood pressure and helps the body cope with the heat. Many tourists who have visited Egypt recommend trying Asyr Asyp cane juice, which is prepared right in front of the tourist who ordered the drink.

Dessert

The whole world has heard about oriental sweets and Egyptian cuisine has borrowed a lot in terms of desserts from Turkish cuisine. Baklava was born in Turkey, but Egyptians believe that this dish was first prepared in their country. Baklava is made from puff pastry soaked in a juicy honey filling, which is stuffed with nut filling.

The true sweets of Egyptian national cuisine include basbousa - a sweet cake baked from semolina, soaked in honey and sprinkled with nuts.

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