The Top 22 Types of Egyptian Food: A Culinary Journey Through Egypt

Egypt’s cuisine is as rich and diverse as its history. From iconic street foods to decadent desserts, Egyptian food offers travelers a delicious insight into the country’s culture and heritage. Curated by local experts, this guide explores over 25 iconic dishes, their cultural roots, ingredients, and where to enjoy them in Egypt.

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1. Koshari

Koshari is Egypt’s beloved vegan dish, combining rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and rich tomato sauce. Topped with crispy fried onions, it’s the ultimate street food, offering a hearty, protein-packed meal for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 cup elbow pasta
• 1/2 cup chickpeas (cooked)
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Boil lentils until tender; cook rice and pasta separately.
2. Fry onions until golden and crispy.
3. Sauté garlic in oil, add tomato sauce, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper.
4. Layer rice, lentils, and pasta, then add chickpeas, pour tomato sauce, and top with fried onions.

2. Ta’meya (Egyptian Falafel)

Ta’meya, made with fava beans, is Egypt’s take on falafel. Crisp on the outside and herbaceous inside, it’s perfect for breakfast or as street food, often served with tahini and fresh bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried fava beans, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• Salt, pepper, sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Grind fava beans, herbs, onion, and garlic into a smooth mixture.
2. Season with coriander, salt, and pepper.
3. Form into small discs, coat in sesame seeds, and deep-fry until golden.
4. Serve with tahini sauce, bread, and salad.

3. Ful Medames

A staple Egyptian breakfast, Ful Medames consists of mashed fava beans cooked slowly and seasoned with olive oil, garlic, lemon, and cumin.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fava beans, soaked and cooked
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Lemon juice
• Salt, cumin, chili pepper

Preparation:

1. Mash cooked beans and mix with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.
2. Season with salt, cumin, and chili.
3. Serve warm with fresh bread.

4. Hawawshi

Hawawshi is a savory Egyptian meat pie made with spiced minced beef, onions, and peppers, baked or grilled inside a loaf of bread. It’s a comforting street food favorite with a crispy crust and juicy filling.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Egyptian bread
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder

Preparation:

1. Mix beef with onions and spices.
2. Stuff mixture into bread.
3. Bake until meat is cooked and bread is golden.
4. Serve with tahini sauce or salad.

5. Shawarma

Egyptian Shawarma is marinated meat (beef, chicken, or lamb) thinly sliced from a rotisserie, served in warm pita with vegetables and sauces.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb meat, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tsp vinegar
• Spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, pepper

Preparation:

1. Marinate meat in yogurt, vinegar, and spices.
2. Grill on a rotisserie until cooked.
3. Serve wrapped in pita with parsley, tomatoes, onions, and garlic sauce.

6. Kabab & Kofta

Grilled lamb or beef skewers (Kabab) and spiced meat patties (Kofta) are staples of Egyptian cuisine, served with pita, tahini, and salads.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb or beef
• 1 onion, grated
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt, pepper, cumin

Preparation:

1. Mix ingredients and shape into logs or patties.
2. Grill over charcoal.
3. Serve hot with tahini and salad.

7. Mulukhiya

Mulukhiya is a traditional green stew made from jute leaves, cooked with garlic, coriander, and meat broth. It’s thick, flavorful, and usually served with rice or bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mulukhiya leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock
• Salt, coriander

Preparation:

1. Cook mulukhiya in stock with garlic and spices until tender.
2. Serve with rice or bread.

8. Fatta

Fatta is a festive dish for special occasions, combining layers of crispy bread, rice soaked in garlic and vinegar meat broth, and stewed beef or lamb.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups beef stock
• Fried pita bread pieces
• Garlic, vinegar, and spices

Preparation:

1. Layer rice and bread.
2. Pour stock and season with garlic and vinegar.
3. Top with stewed meat.

9. Roasted Stuffed Pigeons

A delicacy in Egyptian cuisine, stuffed pigeons are filled with rice, nuts, and spices, then roasted to perfection.

Ingredients:

• 2 pigeons, cleaned
• Rice stuffing with nuts and spices

Preparation:

1. Stuff pigeons with rice mixture.
2. Roast until skin is crispy and meat cooked.

10. Beserah

Beserah is a vegan-friendly Egyptian green dip made from fava beans and herbs, topped with fried onions. It’s nutritious, earthy, and perfect with warm bread.

Ingredients:

• Fava beans
• Parsley, leek, dill
• Spices

Preparation:

1. Blend ingredients into a smooth puree.
2. Simmer with spices.
3. Serve warm, topped with fried onions.

11. Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is a creamy roasted eggplant dip with garlic, tahini, and lemon juice, perfect as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:

• Roasted eggplant
• Garlic
• Tahini
• Lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Mash roasted eggplant with garlic, tahini, and lemon juice.
2. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

12. Alexandria Liver and Sausages

A street food favorite in Alexandria, sautéed liver and sausages are cooked with onions, peppers, and spices, served with pickles.

Ingredients:

• Sliced beef liver
• Onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers
• Spices

Preparation:

1. Stir-fry liver or sausages with spices and vegetables.
2. Serve hot with pickles.

13. Baklava

Baklava is a sweet pastry of layered filo dough filled with nuts and syrup, a festive dessert across Egypt.

Ingredients:

• Filo dough
• Nuts
• Syrup

Preparation:

1. Layer filo dough with nuts.
2. Bake until golden, then drizzle syrup.

14. Basboosa

Basboosa is a semolina cake soaked in syrup, often flavored with coconut, soft, moist, and sweet.

Ingredients:

• Semolina
• Yogurt
• Syrup

Preparation:

1. Bake semolina mixture.
2. Pour syrup over warm cake.

15. Konafa

Konafa is a dessert made with thin pastry layered with nuts or sweet cheese, baked and drizzled with syrup.

Ingredients:

• Semolina noodles
• Nuts or sweet cheese
• Syrup

Preparation:

1. Layer noodles and filling.
2. Bake until golden.
3. Drizzle with syrup.

16. Kahk

Kahk are butter cookies filled with dates, nuts, or Turkish delight, traditionally made for Eid celebrations.

Ingredients:

• Butter
• Flour
• Fillings (dates, nuts)

Preparation:

1. Fill dough with filling.
2. Bake and dust with powdered sugar.

17. Mahalabiya

Mahalabiya is a silky rice pudding flavored with rosewater, often topped with cinnamon or nuts.

Ingredients:

• Milk
• Rice flour
• Rosewater
• Nuts

Preparation:

1. Cook milk and rice flour.
2. Flavor with rosewater and garnish.

18. Umm Ali

A rich Egyptian dessert similar to bread pudding, made with layers of pastry, milk, nuts, and raisins, baked until golden.

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry
• Milk
• Nuts, raisins

Preparation:

1. Layer pastry, pour milk, add nuts and raisins.
2. Bake until golden.

19. Feteer Meshaltet

A flaky, layered pastry that can be sweet or savory, enjoyed with honey, cheese, or fruit fillings.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Water
• Fillings (cream, cheese, fruit)

Preparation:

1. Roll and layer dough.
2. Bake with chosen fillings.

20. Rice Pudding

A classic dessert made with rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and garnished with nuts or raisins.

Ingredients:

• Rice
• Milk
• Sugar
• Cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Cook rice in milk.
2. Chill and garnish.

21. Zalabya

Egyptian doughnuts: deep-fried dough balls soaked in syrup or honey, perfect for festivals.

Ingredients:

• Dough balls
• Syrup

Preparation:

1. Fry dough until golden.
2. Soak in syrup.

22. Qatayef

A Ramadan specialty, Qatayef are stuffed mini-pancakes filled with nuts or cream, fried or baked, and soaked in syrup.

Ingredients:

• Mini pancakes
• Fillings (nuts, cream)
• Syrup

Preparation:

1. Fill and fold pancakes.
2. Fry or bake, then drizzle syrup.