Cairo is considered to be one of the largest cities in both the Middle East and Africa. It is the capital of Egypt and a famous tourist destination for adventurous travelers and historians alike. The Giza Pyramids are right outside of the town, and the Egyptian Museum is in the center. The Sphinx and the Citadel are two other popular tourist attractions. When it comes to eating in Egypt, traditional food can be found everywhere.
Traditional Egyptian Cuisine
One traditional meal is the kebob. Kebobs have become extremely popular, and have morphed, in the past fifty years. The traditional kebob is a skewer filled with meat and vegetables. Now kebobs are made from just about anything, from fruit and nuts to fish and desserts. Kebobs can be found at many roadside stands, and in a number of restaurants, as well.
Falafel is another traditional Egyptian food that can be found in Cairo. Falafel is a fried ball that is created using fava beans that have been spiced. They are most popularly put into a pita bread and served by a street vendor. Other traditional foods found at vendors include fatayeer, which is a pancake filled with fruits or cream, muzagga’a, which is spicy aubergines, or foul, which is bean paste.
Ful medames is considered by some Egyptians to be the national dish. It is served at breakfast time, and is created by cooking fava beans in a copper pot over low heat for a long amount of time. They are then mashed and served with spices. Sometimes the meal is served with a boiled egg, other times with baladi, which is Egyptian bread. It is an extremely filling meal, and is often eating early in the morning when an Egyptian is preparing to fast during Ramadan.
Eating Out
When it comes to dining in Cairo, visitors have a number of choices to make. There are restaurants that serve traditional Egyptian cuisine, and restaurants that serve foods that are popular outside of the country. One gourmet restaurant that serves traditional Egyptian food with a haute cuisine flair is the Khan el-Khalili Restaurant. This restaurant is found in the middle of the Khan el-Khalili market, which makes it the perfect place to stop for a meal during a busy day of shopping. The restaurant allows diners to avoid the Egyptian heat, as it is fully air conditioned, and has amazing food, and wonderful service.
Those visiting the pyramids of Giza should stop by Andrea. Andrea is a restaurant that has an indoor dining room, and an outdoor, shaded terrace. Bread is baked in a clay oven, and meats are roasted using a charcoal grill. There is wine and beer available, but look elsewhere for dessert. When the sun goes down, Andrea transforms from a family-style restaurant to a trendy nightclub. Many restaurants have borrowed the name, so tourists need to make sure that they’ve got the right restaurant. Reservations are required.
