Best Egyptian Food – 57 Best Egyptian Dishes And Traditional Food in Egypt To Try

Best Egyptian Food – 57 Best Egyptian Dishes And Traditional Food in Egypt To Try

Egyptian cuisine is not yet world-famous, but one thing is for sure, the food in Egypt is good! But there are also some Egyptian dishes that are authentic traditional food in Egypt to try and drinks in Egypt!

Egyptian cuisine has a lot of Mediterranean and African influences. You can see a lot of crossovers with other popular cuisines like Lebanese cuisine and more. While the northern part of the country focuses on fish-based dishes the southern side of Egypt is more inclined towards North African cuisine. You can have a budget for dishes in Egypt to try of €15-20 a day and it can already get you more then enough decent meals. Read here best breakfast in Egypt

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Best Egyptian Food: 57 Best Egyptian Dishes And Traditional Food in Egypt To Try

TRADITIONAL EGYPTIAN FOOD AND BEST EGYPTIAN DISHES

Here we take a quick look at some of the popular Egyptian foods that you can find.

1. TAMIYA (EGYPTIAN FALAFEL)

Tamiya (Egyptian Falafel) is the most popular fast food to try in Egypt. Tamiya is made of cooked fava beans putting together in a dough and later fried. You can find Tamiya or Egyptian Falafel as street food almost everywhere. You can eat with bread or salad and Egyptian Falafel is a perfect vegetarian food in Egypt.

2. KOSHARI

Egypt Traditional Food – Image From Noshon

Koshari is one of the most popular lunch to try in Egypt. Koshari is made of rice, macaroni, lentils, with tomato sauce, garlic, vinegar, onion and chili sauce. Koshari sounds like a strange mix but it’s so delicious!

3. BESARAH

Image From Kitchen of Palestine

Besarah is a great option for vegetarian food in Egypt. Besarah is made of mashed parsley, beans, spices, green pepper and onions. A perfect food to eat with bread and it’s so delicious you will love it!

4. Molokhia (or Mulukhiyah)

Egypt Traditional Food – Image from Wikimedia

Molokhia is made from Molokhia leaves after they are finely chopped with garlic and coriander. The leaves are then boiled with chunks of meat, such as boneless chicken, lamb or rabbit. Molokhia is served with rice or Egyptian flatbread.

5. Ful Medames

Ful Medames is a stew made from mashed fava beans and other mixed vegetables. Ful Medames is generally served with chopped onion, garlic, parsley, lemon juice and other spice ingredients.

6. Feteer Meshaltet

Feteer Meshaltet is a flaky Egyptian layered pastry made from dough and ghee and various optional sweet and savory fillings. Feteer Meshaltet are fillings anything from cheese, coconut, chocolate or ground beef and sausages.

7. Torly

Torly is a typical and traditional Egyptian mixed vegetable casserole that also has chunks of beef or lamb. Torly is often made from vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions and squash.

8. Hamam Mahshi (Pigeon)

Hamam Mahshi is one of the popular Egyptian dishes. Hamam Mahshi is usually made in Ramadan and consists of pigeon meat that is stuffed with spices like onion, cinnamon, ground pepper, nutmeg, cardamom and bay leaves.

9. KEBAB AND KOFTA

Image From Migrationolgy

Kebab And Kofta is the most popular food in Egypt and Middle East and you will find everywhere. Kebab is grilled meat usually lamb and kofta is also minced meat. You can eat Kofta or Kebab with salad, bread and rice as side dishes.

10. SHAWARMA

Shawarma is also popular in Egypt but originally from Turkey. Shawarma is made of meat lamb, chicken or beef grilled all the day. Shawarma is usually eaten with salad or in a bread. You can also have rice and French fries as side dish.

11. Kebda Eskandarani or Alexandrian Kebdah

Kebda Eskandarani is also known as Alexandrian Liver. Kebda Eskandarani contains fried beef liver blended with garlic, cumin, cardamom and chili peppers. It is often served with rice or as sandwiches.

12. Hawawshi

Hawawshi is one of the most popular of the takeaway Egyptian dishes. Hawawshi that has minced meat flavored with onions, chilies, parsley and pepper stuffed in pita bread.

13. Fattah

Fattah is a very popular Egyptian dish that includes spiced boiled lamb or beef over a bed of rice and toasted pita bread. Fattah is often served with garlic tomato sauce to infuse more flavor.

14. Feseekh

Feseekh is a celebratory Egyptian seafood dish that includes fermented, salted and dried gray mullet fish. Feseekh dish fish is sun-dried using a process passed down by generations.

15. Sayadiyah (Sayadieh) Fish

Sayadieh (Sayadiyah) is a seafood dish in Egypt. Sayadieh consists of fish like cod, haddock, snapper or halibut cooked with sweet caramelized onions, and various local spices and long grain rice.

16. Shakshouka

Shakshouka is a popular dish that contains poached eggs cooked in tomato sauce along with garlic, onions and peppers and olive oil. Shakshouka has various spices like nutmeg, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper are added as per flavor.

17. Om Ali/Umm Ali

Om Ali is a traditional Egyptian dessert that is a blend of coconut flakes, pistachios, raisins and sugar and milk. Om Ali mixture is then baked until golden brown. To make it better cream and cinnamon is poured and sprinkled on the mixture.

18. Baked sweet potato

Baked Sweet Potato is a local dessert in Egypt. Baked sweet potato contains coconut butter, toasted coconut, dark chocolate, cinnamon, almond butter and pecans. Honey is added to give it more flavor.

19. Qolqas

Qolqas is one of the traditional Egyptian food that you should try. Qolqas dish consists of fried taro root. Taro is peeled, cut, boiled and prepared with chard or tomato.

20. Egyptian Sabanekh

Egyptian Sabanekh is a delicious food in Egypt to try. Egyptian Sabanekh is made a spinach stew that contains pieces of meat and is blended in tomato sauce along with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, coriander and nutmeg.

21. Bamya (Okra Stew) or Bamia Bi-lahm

Bamya is a traditional food in Egypt. Bamya is an okra-based stew that is made by mixing okra with tomato sauce, onions, garlic, coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper. Lamb meat is also added to it to infuse more flavor.

22. KAWARE

Kaware is a traditional Egyptian dish that includes cow’s trotters. Kaware is made with trotters boiled into a broth. The tendons from the trotters are eaten along with the broth.

23. Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a salad dish that contains tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, onions, mint and bulgur. Tabbouleh salad is seasoned with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and sweet pepper.

24. Foie Gras

Foie Gras is a popular delicacy in the Egyptian cuisine that is made from the liver of the duck or goose. Foie Gras dish the liver is cooked with salt and ground white pepper.

25. Rozz Me’ammar

Rozz Me’ammar is a traditional Egyptian food. Rozz Me’ammar is a rice dish where white rice is cooked with butter, milk, cream and chicken broth.

26. PASTITSIO

Pastitsio is a delicious main dish and comfort food – layers of pasta, meat sauce, cinnamon flavors, and bechamel. Pastitsio is almost like Moussaka but without the eggplant.

27. MOUSSAKA

Moussaka is a must food to try in Egypt. Moussaka is an eggplant- or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, in the Levant, Middle East and Balkans with many local and regional variations.

28. Salatet Zabady Bil Ajur

Salatet Zabady Bil Ajur is a traditional food in Egypt. Salatet Zabady Bil Ajur is a salad that consists of cucumber, yoghurt, mint and olive oil. Paprika is added to garnish as per taste.

BEST EGYPTIAN FOOD: SNACKS AND DESSERTS

29. Toum/Tooma (Garlic Sauce)

Toum is a creamy Egyptian garlic sauce made from garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Toum is served with a variety of flatbread-based dishes.

30. Kamounia

Kamounia is a traditional Egyptian food. Kamounia is a stew made from beef and liver prepared with cumin, parsley, garlic and olive oil. Lamb is also added to it to add more flavor in Kamounia dish.

31. Eggah

Eggah is an Egyptian omelet popular for breakfast. Eggah consists apart from eggs, of other ingredients like cinnamon, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, raisins, pine nuts, nutmeg and fresh local herbs.

32. EGYPTIAN LENTIL SOUP

Egyptian lentil soup is a traditional soup to try. Egyptian lentil soup consists of red lentils, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, ground cumin, black pepper, coriander and chicken stock.

MORE FOOD IN EGYPT: DESSERTS AND SNACKS IN EGYPTIAN CUISINE

33. FIFTEER BALADI

Fifteer Baladi is a delicious bread usually eaten as side dish in Egypt. You can eat Fifteer Baladi with cheese, vegetables, meat and even sweet ones with honey and sugar.

34. Basbousa

Basbousa is a traditional Ottoman sweet cake made from semolina batter. Basbousa is cooked in a pan and sweetened with sugar syrup or rose water and garnished with nuts.

35. Mombar

Mombar is one of the popular Egyptian dishes. Mombar consists of sheep intestines that are stuffed with rice mixture. The intestines are then deep-fried.

36. MASHI

Mashi is a popular dish in Egypt. for winter time. Mashi could be a vegetarian dish (without adding beef obviously) in Egypt made of zucchini with minced beef and tomato sauce. You can add different vegetables like potatoes and egg plants.

37. Duqqa or Dukkah

Duqqa is a popular Egyptian dip to try. Duqqa has a mixture of local herbs, hazelnut and local spices. Duqqa is a perfect snack in Egypt.

38. TAHINI

Tahini can be served with the Meze and usually made from tasted sesame seeds. Tahini is made from sesame seeds and so popular in Egypt food. You can also find in Cyprus!

39. MEZE 

Photo via Sergey Galyonkin / Flickr

Meze is one of the most popular snacks in Egypt to try. Meze is a mix of hot and cold appetizers usually served with drinks. Meze is a mix of Mediterranean food with bread, olive oil, humus, cheese and vegetables.

40. HUMMUS

And who doesn’t know about Hummus? Yeah Hummus is a popular dip across the globe and a lot of Mediterranean cuisines, good to always partner with bread! Hummus is made from mashed chickpeas mixed with tahini, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil and garlic.

41. Mish

Mish is a traditional Egyptian cheese made by fermenting salty Areesh cheese. Mish is made of cheese is packed with salt in an earthen jar. Buttermilk, whey, red peppers, green peppers and sour skimmed milk are added to the jar and stored for a year.

42. Domiati cheese

Domiati cheese is also known as White Cheese. Domiati is a soft white salty cheese generally made from buffalo milk or cow milk. Salt is added to the milk directly to give it a distinct taste to the Domiati cheese.

43. HALLOUMI

Halloumi is one of the most popular snacks in Egypt. Halloumi is grilled cheese that you can eat with salad or in a sandwich and it’s so delicious.

44. SAHLAB

Sahlab is a popular Egyptian sweet milk drink. Sahlab is made from milk, corn or potato starch and sweetened with sugar or honey. Dried apricots, pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon are added to garnish.

45. AISH BALADI

Aish Baladi is made from whole wheat flour. Aish Baladi is a traditional Egyptian flatbread that is made using kosher salt and vegetable oil and dry yeast.

46. KUNAFA

Image From Cairo 360

Kunafa is one of the most popular desserts to try in Egypt. Kunafa is usually made for Ramadan with kunafa pieces filled with cream or cheese baked. You can top up with syrup!

47. BAKLAVA

Baklava is also popular in Egypt but maybe you know as a Turkish dessert too. Baklava is baked and made of pistachios, butter and syrup. You will find in most of the bakeries in Egypt for affordable prices. Baklava tastes so sweet!

48. MAHALABIYA (MAHALABIA OR MUHALLEBI)

Mahalabia is a traditional creamy milk pudding generally served in Ramadan. Mahalabia pudding is garnished with rose petals, nuts or sugar syrup.

49. ROZ BEL LABAN

Roz Bel Laban is a traditional rice pudding that contains long grain rice blended with milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Roz Bel Laban pudding is garnished with chopped nuts and almonds.

50. Egyptian Ghorayebah (Butter Cookies)

Egyptian Ghorayebah is bite-sized shortbread cookies made from ghee, all-purpose flour and powdered sugar.

EGYPTIAN DRINKS

51. SALEP

Image from Wikimedia

Salep is a rich, hot beverage thickened with flour prepared from wild orchid tubers and mixed with hot milk and sugar. Salep is one of the most favorite hot drinks in Egypt.

52. TURKISH COFFEE

Turkish Coffee is strong and unfiltered. Since Egypt is near Turkey and you like coffee you will be able to enjoy Turkish coffee. Prices are around $1 USD in local coffee shops.

53. EGYPT SHAI TEA

Egypt Shai Tea taste strong and very sweet. You will find locals in Egypt drinking anytime of the day. Sometimes they will invite you to drink with them and asking questions about your country. As we mentioned above Egyptian people are so friendly.

54. LEMON JUICE

Lemon Juice is also popular in street markets in Egypt and bars. Lemon juice is made of squeeze lemon, water, sugar and served with ice. Prices are around $1-2 USD.

55. SUGAR CANE

Sugar Cane you will find with street vendors as well in Egypt. Sugar cane isn’t my favorite but it’s so refreshing. Be careful not having a few of them since is full of sugar.

56. FRESH JUICES

Fresh juices are popular for breakfast. There are different fruits in Egypt which are perfect for those warm days.

57. POMEGRANATE JUICE

Pomegranate juice is one of the most popular ones in Egypt. You will find in the local markets anytime of the day. Apart from pomegranate juices you can find orange juice also popular in Egypt. Prices are around $1-2 USD depending on the size and they are so delicious!

WHERE TO STAY IN EGYPT

For accommodation in Egypt, you can find deals starting from $25 USD per room. If you prefer mid-budget accommodation will cost $40-60 USD and for $80 USD you will find luxury accommodation in Egypt. Click here to get the best deals in Egypt with Booking

Hope you liked our Egyptian food blog post. Let us know if we missed any food in Egypt and which one is your favorite one in the list of Egyptian dishes. Have you ever heard about Egyptian cuisine before?

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Happy Travels!