Travelling in Egypt means getting to know the country through its food as much as through its temples. I grew up with many of these dishes myself, and on an Orientoura trip you are more likely to eat them with a family, at a small place by the road, or straight from the boat, than in a hotel buffet.
What people eat in Egypt
The main meal of the day is lunch, not dinner. Evenings are often lighter, except on special occasions. In Cairo, restaurants tend to fill up only from around ten at night, sometimes later in summer.
The table usually holds flatbread, fava beans, lentils and rice. The flatbread, known as eish baladi, has a history going back almost 5,800 years and comes with practically every meal. Cumin does a lot of the seasoning work, and it held a special place even in ancient Egypt, alongside coriander and cardamom. Tea is the drink of choice, strong and sweet.
A meal is rarely over in ten minutes. Several dishes arrive at the table together, the bread gets shared, and everyone stays seated. Visitors are offered something, even if it is only tea and a little fruit. That happens regardless of the occasion.
There is a saying for it: لقمة هنية تكفي مية, pronounced “lo’ma hanaya tikfi maya”, which translates roughly as “one bite shared with a good heart is enough for a hundred”. It is not about quantity. It is about how far food shared with pleasure can go.
During Ramadan the day shifts. In public, people eat, drink and smoke discreetly during daylight hours. The evening meal that breaks the fast is the most festive moment of the day, with sweets such as kunafa and qatayef that appear almost only in this month. Our guide to the best time to visit Egypt covers when Ramadan falls in the coming years and what that means for a trip.
The five most traditional dishes
1. Koshari
Rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas, topped with tomato sauce and crisp fried onions, usually with a garlic sauce and a spicy chilli sauce on the side. Considered Egypt’s national dish and recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2025. You will find it on almost every street corner.
2. Batates bel Lahma
A bake of thinly sliced potatoes and meat, layered in tomato sauce and cooked in the oven. A classic family dish, often served on special occasions or when friends come to visit.
3. Molokhia
A thick green soup made from mallow leaves, usually with chicken or rabbit. Read more in Molokhia: Egypt’s green soup a caliph once banned.
4. Ta’meya
Egypt’s answer to falafel, made from fava beans instead of chickpeas, crisp outside and bright green inside. Usually eaten at breakfast.
5. Mahshi
Vegetables filled with herbed rice and slowly cooked in tomato sauce. A dish that brings a whole family into the kitchen.
More from the Egyptian kitchen: Ful medames, Egypt’s breakfast of the pharaohs
About the author: Dr Sherif Azab-Els grew up in Egypt, lives in Germany, studied Egyptology and is the founder of Orientoura.
Auf Deutsch lesen: Essen in Ägypten: Alltag und die 5 traditionellsten Gerichte