I’m not expecting to find mind-blowing food in Egypt, but it never hurts to ask! We’ll be in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, on our own for dinner most nights. Would love to get some input from anyone who’s been there. TIA
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I haven’t been to Egypt .
I have enjoyed Egyptian food made by expats.
I particularly like the grilled fish topped with herbs and spices . It’s called Singari -style fish at the restaurant I like. You can have different types of fish prepared in this style.
Enjoy your trip.
Sorry I missed this thread but you didn’t say when you’re going so I’ll post anyway. I explored Egyptian cuisine more than a dozen years ago here in Houston. That restaurant is gone but two others have taken their place and I’m planning on hitting the best looking one. Yes Egyptian food can be pretty unimpressive. Ask for it spicy and it will be better.
Eish biladi - bread of life?, is Egypt’s flat bread, possibly the oldest Middle Eastern flatbread. it is very much firmer and substantial than pita bread you might find in an American supermarket. I understand street vendors roam the streets of Cairo selling it.
Koshari - a national dish - supposedly a variation of (Syria’s?) mujadarra - I found very boring but it does vary widely. I think a well made mujadarra is one of the greatest culinary creations of all time, dating back to Old Testament times, so I was super disappointed in Koshari.
Ful Mudammes - another national dish?, widely available throughout the Middle East, based on fava beans or I would eat it more often. Can be awesome.
Hawawashi (?) - touted by the restaurant here as the Egyptian version of pizza, which made no sense to me. It’s more of a meat pie with the filling completely enclosed, I think of it as a family sized empanada.
Falafal - supposedly originated in Egypt but made with fava beans instead of chickpeas originally. Some places may use a combination of the two as do many places here.
Liver! - the menu at the earlier Egyptian eatery here said Alexandria is known as the liver capital of the world. Like me you may guess there aren’t many cities trying to take that title away from them, but try it. You’re not near Alexandria but maybe it’s offered all over the country - Kebda Eskandrany (various spellings). If you hate liver, well, what can I say; but if you want to try it just get an appetizer portion. And get it spicy. I thought it was the best thing I had at the restaurant, bar none, and I’m looking forward to trying the version at the new place.
Cow’s or Calves foot - I’ve seen this at Nigerian and Carribean restaurants here but never tried it. The new place here had it on the menu (and there were pictures online I can’t find now) but now just offers Calves Foot Soup, which looks a lot like their Oxtail Soup and I’m looking forward to trying. My understanding is, if you like bone marrow, Cow/Calves foot is a must try. No, you don’t eat the leather (or the fur) - that’s just for the presentation.
Sahlab - a variation of the Turkish original, I think. Awesomely aromatic drink (the original made from the root of an orchid grown only in Turkey and against the law to export) with nuts. They didn’t have hot chocolate, they had this.
I never tried any desserts but there were a couple that looked very good.
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Fried river fish from the Nile can be very good if done well. Kushari and Ful Mudames as others have mentioned but there are many more legumes dishes and I think they are a strength. Depending on the time of year, fresh dates from the tree and date desserts.
In Cairo, there will be good restaurants from other parts of North Africa and the Middle East (eg Tunisian, Moroccan, Syrian etc). If you haven’t been to these places, Cairo would be a good place to seek them out.
The last time I was in Egypt was 25 years ago so no specific recs but you’ll have a great time. The river is magical and so are its sights but for me the hidden gem is the jumbled streets of Old Cairo, its markets and mosques. Over 1000 years of rich history. Leave time to wander.
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Doing some more studying in prep for a visit to the local restaurant I did read that the liver dish is popular all over Egypt and frequently consumed in a sandwich form from street vendors! Get me a pita! I had never thought of a liver sandwich!
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Thank so much! Got your response while I was there. Didn’t get to try fish from the Nile but we had some from Lake Nasser (or so they say…). Fresh dates from the tree - that was a first for me. Appreciate your taking the time to post. Thank you!
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Thank you for this and your previous response. Yes - liver was ubiquitous and quite a surprise. I was also not expecting duck to be so popular. But ducks (or perhaps geese?) were ever-present in the hieroglyphs so apparently that is a dish being enjoyed there for centuries. We tried almost everything else you mentioned. In general the food was quite good. Thanks again for your post!
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Glad you had a good time and got to try a few things. It’s been a long time but the Nile and Cairo are special places to visit.
Thanks for the feedback Kem. I finally remembered to put liver in my grocery pick-up order and have it in the freezer now and have bookmarked several recipes.
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Following this thread. We’re thinking about going in 2027 for the eclipse.
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