A Summary of Local Eating Habits#

Life in Cairo is busy, and food fits into that. People usually have three main meals, but the biggest one is often lunch.

Breakfast (Iftar in Arabic, but for the morning meal): This is usually simple and fast. Many Cairenes start their day with fava beans (‘foul’) cooked in different ways, maybe with oil, lemon, and spices. Falafel (‘ta’ameya’ in Cairo, made from fava beans, not chickpeas like in the Levant), fresh ‘aish baladi’ (local flatbread), white cheese, maybe some boiled or fried eggs, and sometimes pickles and salad. It’s a hearty start that keeps you going.

Lunch (Ghada): This is often the main event, especially if people are eating at home. It’s typically the heaviest meal. It can be anything from a simple vegetable stew to more complex dishes with rice and meat or poultry. If people are working, they might have something quicker, maybe street food or a sandwich.

Dinner (Asha): Usually lighter than lunch. It might be leftovers from lunch, simple sandwiches, yogurt, cheese, fruits, or just tea and some biscuits. Eating a big dinner late at night isn’t as common for many families, though younger people might snack or have street food later.

Common Home-Cooked Meals vs. Street Food#

Home-cooked meals are the heart of Egyptian food. Families gather for these, especially lunch on weekends. Staples include:

• Molokhia: A soup/stew made from jute mallow leaves, often cooked with garlic and coriander, served with rice and chicken or rabbit. It’s very popular.
• Mahshi: This means ‘stuffed’. It’s vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, or even cabbage leaves and grape leaves, stuffed with a mixture of rice, herbs, tomatoes, and sometimes mince meat. Cooked slowly in a flavorful broth.
• Fasolya, Bamia, Sabanekh: These are stews – white beans, okra, and spinach – usually cooked in a tomato sauce with onion and garlic, served with rice and sometimes meat.
• Roz Bel Shereya: Rice cooked with vermicelli pasta, a very common side dish.

Street food is huge in Cairo, perfect for a quick, cheap meal. It’s not just snacks; you can get full meals.

• Koshary: This is perhaps the most famous street food. A mix of rice, macaroni, and lentils, topped with chickpeas, crispy fried onions, a spicy tomato sauce, and a garlic-vinegar dressing. It’s vegetarian and filling.
• Foul and Ta’ameya sandwiches: Available everywhere, anytime. Fava beans and falafel stuffed into ‘eish fino’ (baguette-like bread) or ‘aish baladi’.
• Hawawshi: Egyptian meat pie. Minced meat mixed with onions and spices, stuffed inside aish baladi and baked or grilled until crispy.
• Kebda and Sogo’ sandwiches: Fried liver (often Alexandrian style with chili and garlic) and Egyptian sausages served in bread. Bold flavors!

Local Ingredients and Spices People Use#

Egyptian cooking relies on fresh ingredients and straightforward spices.

Common Vegetables: Tomatoes, onions, garlic (used a lot!), potatoes, eggplant (bitengan), zucchini (kousa), okra (bamia), fava beans (foul), lentils (adas), chickpeas (hommos), molokhia leaves, jute mallow.

Common Spices: Cumin, coriander, black pepper, red chili flakes, cinnamon, cardamom (especially in tea or coffee), bay leaves. Mint and parsley are fresh herbs used widely.

Oils: Vegetable oil is common for frying and general cooking. Olive oil is also used, but maybe less universally than in some other Mediterranean countries for daily cooking. Ghee or clarified butter is used for richness in some dishes.

Traditional Dishes Eaten During Festivals or Weekends#

Weekends (usually Friday and Saturday) are when families often have bigger meals together.

• Fatteh: Especially important during Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). Layers of crispy dry bread, rice, smothered in tomato sauce with garlic and vinegar, and topped with pieces of slow-cooked lamb or beef.
• Roast Meat/Poultry: On weekends or special occasions, roasting a chicken or a joint of meat is common.
• More elaborate versions of home-cooked meals like stuffed pigeons (Hamam Mahshi) or specific rice dishes might be made.

During Ramadan, the entire eating pattern changes, with a large meal (Iftar) after sunset to break the fast, and a pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) before fasting begins. Special sweets like Konafa and Qatayef are very popular during this month.

Popular Snacks or Drinks#

Drinks:

• Tea (Shai): Black tea is the most common drink, often sweetened. ‘Shai Koshary’ is a popular way to drink it – light, yellowish, brewed with mint.
• Coffee (Ahwa): Thick, strong Egyptian coffee, often spiced with cardamom.
• Karkade: A refreshing drink made from dried hibiscus flowers, served hot or cold.
• Fresh Juices: Sugar cane juice (asab), orange juice, mango juice (when in season) are very popular.

Snacks:

• Termos: Lupini beans, soaked and boiled, often sold by street vendors, eaten with cumin and chili.
• Sweets: Baklava, Basbousa (semolina cake with syrup), Konafa (shredded pastry with cheese or cream), Qatayef (sweet dumplings - especially in Ramadan).
• Feteer Meshaltet: A flaky layered pastry, can be eaten savory with cheese or sweet with sugar.
• Grilled Corn: Popular when in season.

Cultural Food Taboos or Unique Rituals#

Like in many cultures, there are some common practices around food in Cairo:

• Right Hand: Eating with the right hand is important, especially for traditional meals eaten communally or with bread. The left hand is generally considered unclean.
• Bismillah: Many people say “Bismillah” (‘in the name of God’) before starting a meal.
• Hospitality: Offering food to guests is a cornerstone of Egyptian hospitality. Refusing politely is understood, but offering is essential.
• No Pork: Due to the large Muslim population, pork is not commonly eaten or served.
• Bread: Bread (aish baladi) is highly respected; it’s considered wasteful to throw it away. If it falls, people might pick it up and kiss it as a sign of respect.
• Ramadan Fasting: During the month of Ramadan, observant Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Eating and drinking (even water) are forbidden during fasting hours. The evenings become a time for communal meals and special foods.