Shawarma:
Shawarma is thinly sliced cuts of meat, like chicken, beef, goat, lamb, and sometimes rolled into a large piece of flatbread or pita that has been steamed or heated.
Inside, foods like hummus, tahini, pickles, vegetables, and even French fries were added. Think of shawarma as a Middle Eastern-style taco or burrito.
Raw meat placed on large, rotating cones. As it turns, the meat is cooked by a heat source located behind the actual funnel.
The meat slowly falls off or is thinly sliced by a chef with a large knife. It can take several hours to cook thoroughly.
Shawarma often is served with fries, salads like tabouleh, falafel, and just by itself for a quick bite on the go. In some places, it is done alone, without pita or flatbread.
Liver, Alexandria Style:
Egyptians get their “liver fix” either from street food carts or fast-food shops. They enjoy their stir-fried liver served in small plates with fresh chili peppers, lime wedges, and warm pitas.
For a quick bite or an order to go, they pick up their liver sandwiches made with Egyptian mini baguettes or bread rolls with sides of French fries and mixed pickles.
The recipe for Alexandria style liver is famous throughout Egypt. It is a quick and easy recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The hardest step in making it is cutting the liver into small pieces since this offal is quite slippery. The trick to save you time is to cut it up while frozen, then leave it to thaw.
Fatta:
Fatta is one of Egypt’s favorite dishes and a perfect Iftar meal. No One can resist Beef Shank over the Egyptian Fatta plate.
Most probably, Fatta relates to the word fetata, which means a small piece of bread or what we cutely call it in Egypt: fatfoota.
If you like a lamb, this is a hearty dish that you eat; then, it leaves you in awe reminiscing about the flavors you just savored.
Slow-cooked lamb seared on a bed of spices is covered in pieces of crispy-fried bread, rice, and a mouth-watering tomato-based sauce.
Seafood:
Egypt has loads of shorelines, and so, fresh seafood is abundant and delicious. Have some of today’s catch fried in olive oil, grilled over hot coals, or cooked in a “Tajin” (clay pot). The fish most eaten in Egypt is ‘balti,’ a grey silverfish that is long and almost flat, or ‘bouri,’ known in the West as mullet. ‘Gambari’ and ‘calamari,’ prawns, and squid, respectively, are also typical delicacies.
Ful Medammes:
An Egyptian Fava Beans Chili, Also called “Ful,” “Ful Medammes,” is one of Egypt’s favorite, cheapest, and most popular quick eats. It consists of slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with salt, garlic, chopped parsley, lemon, olive oil, black pepper, and cumin. “Ful” is usually eaten at breakfast, but you can buy it at any time of the day, in the small shop around the corner, or at any restaurant serving local and middle eastern food. It is usually served with bread (Aish), which comes in handy to scoop out the small beans. Enjoy!
Taameya:
Taameya, known in other Middle Eastern countries as falafel, this delicious vegetarian-friendly food is a staple in Egypt. It is pounded broad beans mixed with lots of spices, molded into the shape of a miniature doughnut, deep-fried until it is sweet and crunchy, and then made into a sandwich with lots of vegetables tahini sauce. It is one of the Egyptian versions of snack food, and the best taameya is usually found at street vendors or small family shops.
Koshari:
Perhaps the most famous Egyptian snack food is Koshari. Street vendors and small shops sell it throughout Egypt, and a sure sign that a place offers Koshari is a great big silver pot in the window. Made from rice, lentils, fried onions, and pasta, then coated in a thick tomato sauce, which can sometimes be quite spicy, it is the all-time Egyptian favorite. Add some vinegar with garlic to the mix, and you have a tasty, economical, and exciting lunch or dinner.
Aish Baladi:
In Arabic, Aish means life, and bread is the essential component of every meal for the Egyptian people. It is usually made with a mixture of the whole meal and white flour and then backed near an open flame, resulting in a pita-like result. Aish Baladi is found just about anywhere in Egypt, from street vendors to supermarkets; Aish Mirahrah is thinner and crispier, resembling chapatti. It is in more rural areas. Aish is used to scoop up food and make sandwiches of taameya or shawarma (strips of grilled meat or chicken).
Karkadeh:
Purple and refreshing, what could be better? Karkadeh is made by boiling dried red original hibiscus flowers and then chilling the water. The flavor is between sweet and sour with a little sugar, and nothing tastes quite as strong as you cruise down the Nile. It can also be enjoyed hot as an herbal tea and has several benefits; it is a good source of Vitamin C and minerals, and in large amounts, it can use to fight high blood pressure.
Umm Ali:
Made with layers of bread soaked in hot milk and bursting with raisins and sometimes nuts, then baked in the oven until the surface is golden brown, this Egyptian specialty loved around the Middle East. The result is a creamy cake-like finish with raisin explosions in your mouth. The best Umm Ali is home-cooked, but you will find it at most local Egyptian restaurants; it is also regularly served on Nile Cruisers.
Butter Cookies (Ghorayeba):
It does not matter what Egyptians are celebrating; food will be there! And depending on the holiday, cookies may be the star of the occasion, like during Eid-ul-Fitr or Christmas. The butter cookies we are making here, called Ghorayeba in Egyptian, are bite-size cookies that quickly melt in your mouth and leave you desiring for more. Watch out for that kid next to the cookie plate; otherwise, I promise, the dish will be empty in no time.
