Food in Egypt

Food in Egypt

Just like in other places, the part of Egypt I enjoyed was the FOOD! Egyptian food has been highly influenced by neighboring cultures, so it offers a lot of variety.

Egypt is known for a lot of different dishes. I was able to try some koushari (lentils, macaroni, rice, and chickpeas), which was served with pita bread. Then I tasted some Gebna Makleyah (Oven-Fried Cheese), with lemon wedges and pita bread. I also had Ful Mudammas (Broad Beans in Sauce), which was also served with pita bread. In fact, most dishes we ate were served with pita or aish baladi, which is a pita-like bread (Aish , the Arabic name for bread, means "life"). [Right: Cheeses, soups, meats, or salads. A lot goes well with pita bread!]

Though meat is a normal part of many dinners, most Egyptians are Muslim, which roughly translates to “No Pork”. We had to make do with trying new types of meat, which I was all for. There was lamb, which is a component of most kebabs (balls of lamb meat on a stick), as well as pigeon and rabbit, the latter of which I tried to stay away from. [Left: Tyra doesn't really like pigeon]

Religion ties in heavily with meals and diets and every day life, as I saw in the story "The Fisherman and the Jinnee", so we learned a lot about meals dealing with Islam. While being the major religion of Egypt, Islam has a few different religious feasts with certain meals. 'Id al-Adha, a holiday celebrating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son (who became a ram), requires a ram to be sacrificed. 'Id al-Fitr, which follows the fast of Ramadan, is celebrated by baking kahk (special cookies powdered with sugar) and offering them to guests coming to the feast. The Prophet's Birthday, marking the birth of the prophet Muhammad, is celebrated by eating halawet al-mulid (a variety of sweets cooked with different types of nuts). Sham al-Nassim or Easter Monday, a holiday celebrated by all religions in Egypt as the spring and harvest festival, normally involves a breakfast of salted fish, spring onion, lettuce, and colored eggs, all of which are eaten outdoors picnic-style.

Other foods involved in a lot of meals are fruits. Mohz (bananas), burtu'aan (oranges), battiikh (melon), khukh (peaches), and 'anub (grapes) are grown commonly. They also make a delicious fruit salad! Tea is normally served with a desert, like baklava (honey pastry) or basbousa (cream-filled cake).

Well, I’m stuffed! With all this delicious food, it’s hard not to eat too much!

http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/Egypt.html
http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Egypt.html#b