Basics of Egyptian Cooking

Egyptian food includes Bread Beans Meat Rice Fruit

Bread: the “staff of life” pita bread

Beans: eaten daily fava beans

Meat: often roasted or boiled Lamb is the favorite meat eaten in Egypt, but Egyptians also eat pigeon, rabbit, and chicken.

Rice: accompanies almost every main meal Rice is usually served as a side dish and is flavored with butter and spices.

Fruit: loved by Egyptians Pomegranates, mangos, figs, grapes, oranges, and apricots

Spices and Accompaniments Spices Yogurt

Spices Egyptian cooks use a variety of spices and often marinate their meats. Marinate means to soak in sauce before cooking. Favorite spices include garlic, coriander, oregano, cumin, and cardamom.

Yogurt Egyptian yogurt, known as laban zabadi, accompanies most meals and serves as a snack as well. Zabadi is served plain or with honey or jams. In fact, yogurt is viewed by many Egyptians as a cure-all for all sorts of ailments.

Fool: national dish of Egypt made from boiled fava beans and flavored with lemon juice, oil spices, and tomatoes. Some people describe fool as chili without meat. Favorite Dishes

Kebabs: Egyptian shish kebab is made from pieces of marinated lamb. The marinated meat is placed on a skewer and grilled over hot coals. The dish is most often accompanied with rice and salad.

Favorite Dishes Falafel is the Egyptian veggie-burger. Mashed fava beans are fried into patties and served in pita bread. This inexpensive sandwich is one of the most popular foods in Egypt and is eaten daily.