Must Try Egyptian Food | Foodie Guide
Tasting local food is a must do whenever we travel. Since we were in Egypt for 12 days, we had a lot of opportunities to try out many local dishes. We have never tried Egyptian food before but glad that it was good! Here are some of our food recommendations – make sure you try them when visiting Egypt. We can’t choose the number #1 food because all of them taste so gooooooood!
Kofta
Beef or lamb lovers where you at? Kofta is made from ground lamb or beef mixed with onions and spices. It is then grilled and served with breads, salads and dips. This dish is famous in Middle Eastern countries and Turkey so you might hear different names like Kebab or Kefta. The slightly charred meat is super delicious. You can’t resist the aroma. Kofta is good for dinner as meat dish, sandwich during evening tea break or even as appetizer with Tahini or Baba Ganoush. This dish is definitely made for meat lovers like Vincent.
Falafel
This deep-fried ball is made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both with common addition of herbs, spices, and onion. Break open the golden brown patty and it is green inside. Falafel is crispy on the outside, but moist and fluffy on the inside! Vincent thinks it tastes like chicken nugget. Maybe it is healthy nugget because chickpeas are known as superfood although Falafel is a deep-fried treat. People normally eat it straight, with tahini or stuff it in bread.
Rahib Salad (Roasted Eggplant Salad)
We are both soooooooo in love with literally all eggplant dishes. Egyptian eggplant salad is a whole new level. You can never imagine how many times we go back and forth buffet station to get more of this. The roasted eggplant is very mushy. It is mixed with chopped tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, ground coriander, ground cumin, olive oil, caster sugar, chopped cilantro and mint. After seasoning it with pepper, salt and garlic powder, here comes a bowl of goodness. Simple yet so appetising. Some Rahib Salad is spicy if the chef decides to add chopped chilli! We are definitely going to make this at home.
Molokhia
Molokhia is made using minced Molokhia leaves or known as the Jute leaves boiled into delicious broth, hence the green colour. Then it is seasoned with coriander, garlic and stock. This soup is rich in vitamins and iron which is good for the heart. It is only served to the pharaohs during ancient times. Normally, Molokhia is served with white rice or warm Baladi bread (Janet – Team rice, Vincent – Team bread). We only tried it once, but we are already in love with it. Although it doesn’t look appetising but trust us, it tastes freaking awesome like a super garlicky chicken stock. Any garlic fan here? You will like the garlicky flavour!
Koshari
Initially we ordered an Uber to a famous restaurant serving Koshari. We arrived to know that the restaurant has closed down. We did not have a Plan B but we were lucky that our kind Uber driver brought us to a local Koshari restaurant which he highly recommended. The menu is even available only in Egyptian! We ended up ordering 2 large Koshari bowls which only cost RM 5 each. It is a super heavy dish with Macaroni, Rice and Spaghetti topped with Lentils, Chickpeas and Fried Shallots.
Before you start eating, you will need to mix everything together with Tomato sauce and Vinegar to give an extra flavour to the dish. No wonder it is Egypt’s national dish because it is so flavourful, you will feel like having a mouthgasm. All the different flavours and textures having a party in your mouth. This is definitely a must try Egyptian food!
Egyptian Flatbread (Aish Baladi)
You can’t imagine how much Vincent loves this Flatbread. He was very happy that he get to eat Egyptian Flatbread a.k.a Baladi Bread almost everyday. It is slightly chewy on the outside and soft like a cotton inside. It looks like Pita Bread but with a much more yeasty taste and it is made with whole wheat flour. Baladi Bread is traditionally baked in scorching-hot brick ovens in Egypt’s bustling markets and streets. You can eat with anything like Cheese, Kofta or dip it in different condiments. Get a cup of Egyptian tea while eating Baladi – perfect combination indeed.
Egyptian Condiments: Tahini (Tahina) & Baba Ganoush
Tahini is a yogurt-like, oily paste made from toasted ground Hulled Sesame. It is one of the most famous Egyptian and Middle Eastern sauce. The simple paste has a light Sesame taste and makes a perfect accompaniment to many other dishes like Falafel, Baladi and Kofta we mentioned above!
Baba Ganoush which is made from grilled eggplant, lemon juice, Tahini and salt, is also another popular condiment. Baba Ganoush has a creamy texture, smoky flavor but still gives you the earthy feel. It is a healthy dip as it is low in calories.
Egyptian Mangoes
Humid coastal area like the Nile Delta is where Egyptian Mangoes are grown. What is so special about Egyptian Mangoes? It is probably the sweetest and best Mango we have tried on earth! You may doubt it but you must trust the Mangoes approved by Janet the Mango Monster. We had Mangoes everyday during our trip. We really love the distinctive flavour, smell and taste. Especially those freshly blended pure Mango Smoothie from the fruit juice vendors on the streets! Just couldn’t resist the rich flavour of these highly nutritious fruits.
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