Traditional Egyptian Dishes: What to Eat in Egypt
Egyptian food is generous, comforting and often vegetarian at heart, built on beans, lentils, rice, bread and fresh vegetables. Eating your way through local dishes is one of the most enjoyable ways to understand everyday life in Egypt. Here are the traditional dishes to try on your trip, from street-food breakfasts to festive family meals.
Koshari
Often called Egypt’s national dish, koshari layers rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas, then tops them with a spiced tomato sauce, a splash of garlic vinegar and crispy fried onions. It is filling, inexpensive and naturally vegetarian, and you will find dedicated koshari restaurants all over Cairo.
Ful Medames
Slow-cooked fava beans, mashed and seasoned with oil, cumin and lemon, are the classic Egyptian breakfast. Ful is usually eaten with flatbread, fresh vegetables and pickles.
Ta’ameya
Egypt’s version of falafel is made with fava beans rather than chickpeas, which gives it a green, herby center and a lighter texture. It is often served in bread with salad and tahini.
Molokhia
A green soup made from finely chopped jute leaves cooked with garlic and coriander, molokhia is served with rice or bread and often with chicken or rabbit. It is a true home-cooking favorite.
Mahshi
Vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, eggplant and vine leaves are stuffed with herbed rice and simmered slowly. Making mahshi is a family affair, and it often appears at special meals.
Fattah
A festive dish of rice and toasted bread soaked in broth, topped with a garlic and vinegar tomato sauce and pieces of meat. It is traditionally served at Eid and other celebrations.
Hawawshi
Flatbread stuffed with spiced minced meat and baked until crisp, hawawshi is a popular street snack across Egyptian cities.
Feteer Meshaltet
A flaky, layered pastry that can be eaten plain with honey or cheese, or filled with sweet or savory ingredients. It is sometimes called Egyptian pie.
Sweets: Om Ali, Basbousa and Konafa
Om Ali is a warm bread pudding with milk, nuts and raisins; read our Om Ali recipe and history. Basbousa is a syrup-soaked semolina cake, and konafa is made with fine pastry threads and filled with cream or nuts, especially popular during Ramadan.
Tips for Eating in Egypt
- Try street food with care: Choose busy places with high turnover, and stick to bottled water if you have a sensitive stomach.
- Vegetarians eat well: Koshari, ful, ta’ameya and many vegetable dishes are meat-free.
- Eat where the locals eat: The cafés around Khan Al-Khalili are a lively place for tea and sweets; see more local experiences in Egypt.
- Visiting during Ramadan: Evenings come alive with special meals and sweets; read what it's like to celebrate Ramadan in Egypt.
- Taste it with a guide: Many of our Cairo day tours can include a stop for local food.
Main photo: Egyptian Food (koshari) by Dina Said, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.