Egyptian Food Guide: What to Eat in Egypt

Egyptian food is hearty, affordable and full of flavor, built on beans, bread, vegetables and spices. Many dishes are naturally vegetarian, and there is plenty for meat lovers too. Here is what to try.

Breakfast and street food

• Ful medames: slow-cooked fava beans with oil, lemon and cumin, Egypt’s national breakfast.
• Ta’ameya: Egyptian falafel, made with fava beans instead of chickpeas.
• Koshari: a filling mix of rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas topped with spicy tomato sauce and crispy onions.
• Aish baladi: the round whole-wheat bread served with almost every meal.

Main dishes

• Molokhia: a green soup made from jute leaves, served with rice or bread and often chicken or rabbit.
• Mahshi: vegetables stuffed with spiced rice.
• Fatta: rice and bread layered with garlic, vinegar and meat, a celebration dish.
• Grilled kofta and kebab: spiced minced and grilled meats.
• Fresh fish: especially in Alexandria and on the Red Sea.

Desserts and drinks

• Om Ali: a warm pastry pudding with milk, nuts and raisins.
• Basbousa and konafa: sweet semolina cake and shredded pastry with syrup.
• Karkadeh: hibiscus tea, served hot or cold, a drink with roots across Africa.
• Mint tea and Turkish coffee at a traditional café.

Eating safely

• Drink bottled or filtered water.
• Choose busy places where food is freshly cooked.
• Take it easy with raw salads and unpeeled fruit for the first days.

Food experiences

Try our felucca ride and Egyptian food tour in Cairo, or ask us to add a home-cooked Nubian lunch in Aswan to your trip. Planning your packing? Read what to pack for Egypt.

Plan your trip with Black Travel Egypt

We plan private and group trips for African American and Black travelers, with Egyptologist guides and 24/7 support on WhatsApp. Browse our classic Egypt tours, Nile cruises and group trips, or send us your dates and we will design your itinerary.