Food in Egypt

Egyptian cuisine is hearty, bread-heavy, and vegetable-rich — with surprisingly cheap and delicious street food. Most dishes are halal; alcohol is served in licensed venues only.

🥇 Must-Try Egyptian Dishes

Koshari 🍝

The unofficial national dish: rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, fried onions and a tangy tomato-vinegar sauce. Best at Abou Tarek or Koshary el-Tahrir in Cairo. ~30–60 EGP a bowl.

Ful Medames 🫘

Slow-cooked fava beans with olive oil, lemon, cumin and garlic. The classic Egyptian breakfast, scooped up with baladi bread.

Ta'ameya (Egyptian Falafel) 🟢

Made from fava beans (not chickpeas), bright green inside, often coated in sesame seeds.

Molokhia 🌿

A green, slightly slimy soup of jute leaves, garlic and coriander — served over rice with chicken or rabbit.

Mahshi 🌶️

Stuffed vegetables — vine leaves, cabbage, zucchini, peppers — filled with seasoned rice.

Hawawshi 🥩

Spiced minced meat baked inside flatbread — like an Egyptian meat pie.

Fattah 🍚

Layered rice, crispy bread, garlic vinegar sauce and meat (often lamb). Celebration food.

Feteer Meshaltet 🥞

Flaky layered pastry, served savory (with cheese/meat) or sweet (with honey).

Umm Ali 🍮

Egypt's beloved bread pudding dessert — pastry, milk, nuts and raisins.

Basbousa & Konafa 🍯

Sweet semolina cake / shredded pastry, both soaked in syrup.

🍵 Drinks

Karkadeh — hibiscus tea, served hot or cold
Sahlab — warm milk drink with cinnamon and nuts (winter)
Sugarcane juice (asab) — cheap, sweet, served from street stalls
Egyptian tea (shai) — strong, with mint or plain
Turkish coffee (ahwa) — served with sugar level pre-specified
Stella / Sakara — local beers (in licensed venues)

🏆 Where to Eat

Abou Tarek (Cairo) — legendary koshari
Felfela (downtown Cairo) — tourist-friendly Egyptian classics
Zooba — modern Egyptian street food, multiple locations
Sobhy Kaber — best grilled meats
El Fishawy — historic café in Khan el-Khalili

⚠️ Food Safety

Tap water is not drinkable — stick to bottled
Be careful with raw salads in budget places — they may be washed in tap water
Street food is generally fine if it's busy and freshly cooked
See Health for more.