Egypt Food and Drink Guide: Wetin to Chop and Drink

Taste of Egypt

Egyptian food dey heavy, full of vegetable and e dey build around bread, beans and bold spice. Meals dey social, generous and surprisingly cheap. Na dis be wetin you go look out for and how to order like local person.

Signature dishes

• Koshary — Egypt national dish: rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas wey dem top with crispy fried onions, spicy tomato sauce and garlic-vinegar. Try Abou Tarek for Cairo, koshary institution.
• Ful medames — slow-cooked fava beans with cumin, oil and lemon, di classic breakfast.
• Taameya — Egypt fava-bean falafel, e green pass and fluffy pass di chickpea version.
• Molokhia — green jute-leaf stew, usually with rabbit or chicken and plenty garlic.
• Hamam mahshi — pigeon wey dem stuff with seasoned freekeh or rice, one celebrated treat.
• Fattah — layers of rice, crisp bread and meat inside garlic-tomato sauce, e dey chop for feasts.

Street food to try

• Hawawshi — spiced minced meat wey dem bake inside crisp bread.
• Shawarma and kofta — dem grill am and stuff am inside baladi bread.
• Feteer meshaltet — flaky layered pastry, sweet or savoury.
• Roasted sweet potato (batata) wey dem sell from cart for winter.

Drinks

• Karkade — hibiscus tea, dem dey serve am hot or iced, tart and ruby-red.
• Sahlab — warm, thick milk drink wey dem top with nuts and cinnamon.
• Fresh juices — mango, sugarcane (asab) and guava from juice bars everywhere.
• Shai — strong black tea, often with fresh mint (na'na).
• Ahwa — Turkish-style coffee; ask for *mazbout* (medium-sweet).

Dining tips and etiquette

• Chop with right hand; bread dey double as utensil.
• E polite make you accept tea or coffee when dem offer you.
• Tip around 10 to 12 percent for restaurants.
• Drink bottled water; ask make dem give you am sealed.
• Ramadan go reshape hours — plenty places go only open after sunset (iftar).
• Full street meal fit cost under 100 EGP; sit-down restaurants go cost more.

Stay connected for Egypt

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