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  Worldcook's RECIPES from EGYPT

Kahwa
bel habahan

Fig date cake

Koshari

Baba ghanouj

Ta'amiya

Pita bread

Ful medamis

Om ali

Semit
  Beed wel tamatim
Beed wel
tamatim

Sweet
couscous

Warak einab

Egyptian
broth

Basboosa
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Stuffed
tomatoes

Dukka
   

Special events and historical days in Egypt, when you may serve these dishes, are 25 January, the day of the Revolution in 2011; 11 September, the start of Coptic New Year; 24 October, Suez Day; and 23 December, the end of the Suez crisis in 1956. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and worldwide celebration.
Like in many other countries, Egyptian cooking has evolved in the presence of many foreign nations (Turks, French, English, Romans) and they all had their influence. The Turkish and Egyptian kitchen share a lot of similar recipes. Some people recognize recipes as coming from Morocco, others think some Egyptian favorites originate in Palestine.
The fact that there were many nomadic tribes has also shaped the Egyptian cooking. Not only did the nomads come into contact with many different people, they had to use ingredients that were easily transportable, like rice, pasta, beans, dates and apricots, and animals like goats. Egyptian cooking uses spices like cumin, aniseed, cardamom and cinnamon but not a lot of hot spices. Pita bread is part of almost every meal and also beans or lentils appear often on the menu. Beans (ful medamis) are even (especially) a popular breakfast dish. The best bread is said to be Shamsi (sun bread), and this is only baked and sold in Upper Egypt, so I looked for it in vain in Cairo. The bread derives it name from the fact that it rises on the hot sand in the sun. Chicken and (stuffed)pigeon (hamam mahshi) are popular, as are mutton and buffalo.

    Shorbet fool nabet
Shorbet
fool nabet
Sayadiya
Sayadiah

Baharat
Honey cookies
Honey
cookies
Cucumber feta salad
Cucumber
feta salad

Apricot
pudding
 
    15 March 2008
Tomato
salad
Musaqqa'a
Musaqqa'a
Beid hamine
Beid
hamine
Chicken kishk
Chicken
kishk
Bamia
Bamia
     

It is not only bread to go with the meal, you will find pickled peppers, turnips and carots as well as pickled lemons as a starter or side dish. In the street there are many stalls and vendors that sell koshary (kushari), a cheap meal full of calories, and ta'amiya. For dessert the Egyptians like their om ali, but the most popular dish at any hour of the day must be baba ghanouj.
Egyptians also have some special drinks: they like sugar cane juice and fresh fruit juices; ir'sus is very popular, which is a drink made out of liquorice powder or threads. It is said to have an energetic effect (like coffee) and it is not advised for people with a high blood pressure. People love to drink tea, mostly served very sweet, and coffee is widely available, but the choice is usually between instant coffee (called Nescafe) and Arabian Coffee, small cups of brewed, sweet coffee which you can almost chew. The last few years you will also find specific restaurants selling the "small and tall" capuccino's and lattes. Another thing people drink is karkade, that is (mostly sweetened) hibiscus tea, cold or hot; and lemonade, made of lemon juice, sugar, mint and a hint of milk beaten through.
And then. when all the eating and drinking has been done, you sit on a terrace overlooking the Nile and share a sheesha.