food in egypt pyramids of giza popular food of egypt

If you ask us, tasting all the glorious foods from Egypt is another major highlight of the country.

So, what are the most popular foods in Egypt to try?

Egyptian cuisine has been influenced throughout history, primarily by the Middle East. We’d say the food in Egypt feels more Arabic than African.

Vegetables and legumes feature heavily in this cuisine and you can taste many cultures in their unique dishes. We compiled a list of the best foods from Egypt for you.

The most popular foods from Egypt – 10 dishes you need to try

1) Ful Medames 

Fava beans, parsley, onion, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini combine this warming dish to create my all-time favourite food in Egypt. Eaten with a basket of fresh Egyptian bread to scoop it all up – this meal is super satisfying.

Ful (pronounced ‘fool’) is a popular breakfast food in Egypt and pairs perfectly with fresh tea.

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One of my favourite food in Egypt is Ful Medames.

2) Koshari

Every culture has its favourite comfort food; for Egyptians, Koshari is the go-to dish. It is also a popular street food in Egypt. You can buy it from street vendors who prepare this filling dish in huge pots.

The dish is made from a base of lentils, rice, pasta and chickpeas, then seasoned with vinegar and garlic and covered with tomatoes.

Yes, this meal is heavy on carbs, but it’s worth it. You will notice that this humble food in Egypt blends both Italian and Arab flavours and ingredients. Served with a spiced tomato sauce and topped with crispy onions, you need to try it.

3) Kobeiba

A combination of ground meat, grains, onion and spices make up the delicious bite-sized kobeiba. It is known throughout the region by different names.

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Kobeiba is another popular food of Egypt.

We’ve eaten it as we travelled in Lebanon and Syria, but it is known as ‘kibbe’ here. And each time we return to Turkey, we tuck into ‘bulgur koftesi’, the Turkish kobeiba. 

Kobeiba is super tasty on its own, but I love to eat them with dips such as hummus and baba ghanoush.

best food in egypt baba ghanoush and hummus foods from egypt
Baba ghanoush and hummus. Foods from Egypt that we absolutely love!

4) Mahshi 

Mahshi is a very popular vegetarian food in Egypt and most Mediterranean countries have a similar version.

This dish of different vegetables is packed with minced beef/lamb or chicken and rice, then simmered in a tomato and stock broth. Typically, the vegetables used in this dish are zucchini, peppers, eggplant, or even tomatoes.

5) Fatteh

Fatteh is a popular food in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East. Essentially, spiced boiled beef or lamb is served over a bed of rice. Then pieces of toasted pita bread are added, and it’s topped with a warm tomato and garlic sauce.

There is something special about this traditional Egyptian dish. It’s one of my go-to dishes when travelling in Egypt and Lebanon.

best food in egypt fatteh foods from egypt
Fatteh – One of the foods from Egypt that you must try! So full of flavour and very filling too.

6) Kebab

For all the meat lovers out there, the food in Egypt that you will like is kebab. These are pieces of marinated meat (lamb, veal or chicken) which is chargrilled.

The best part is the smoky taste from how it has been cooked and then the fresh bread, rice, salads, herbs and dips served alongside kebab. 

7) Ta’meya (Egypt Falafel)

Ta’amiya is typical breakfast food in Egypt. It is also known as Egyptian falafel. It’s cheap, tasty, and perfect to pick up when you’re short on time to visit the amazing things to see in Egypt. 

So, what makes Egyptian felafel different to falafel from other countries? Rather than using chickpeas as a base, Ta’amiya is prepared using fava beans instead.

They’re loaded with greens and fresh herbs such as coriander, dill, leek and parsley and are perfect for vegetarians! So delicious to eat on their own, but I’d recommend eating them with fresh Egyptian bread, tahina and salad.

An easy, yet delicious Ta’meya recipe to cook at home is here on AllRecipes.com

best food in egypt falafel Ta'amiya foods from egypt
Ta’amiya or Egyptian falafel is a popular food in Egypt. Made using fava beans instead of chickpeas, don’t miss it! Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

8) Bessara

If you’re a fan of hummus, baba ghanoush and other flavourful dips, you will appreciate bessara. A zesty dip with broad beans being the core ingredient.

Garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, spicy red pepper, and salt are added and then blitzed. The result is wonderful. I could eat this foods from Egypt by spoon, but it’s better eaten with fresh bread.

I tasted a very similar dish during my travels in Libya. And, I really loved Libyan cuisine too – here are my favourite 10 dishes from Libya.

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9) Kunafah

Kunafah is a traditional dessert food in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.

This incredible dessert is made with two crispy layers of kataifi pastry, soaked in sugar syrup and rose water and then filled with clotted cream or ricotta cheese.

The filling is often flavoured with cardamom and orange zest. Kunafah is served warm, and the most delightful dessert I’ve ever eaten.

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Kunafeh is the best sweet food of Egypt. If you see a place with a lineup of locals waiting for hot kunafeh, get in it!

10) Basbousa

More delicious foods from Egypt. A sweet cake from semolina flour that has been soaked in rosewater syrup or honey and lemon. Afterwards, it is topped with slivered almonds and shaved coconut.

It’s perfect when eaten with a pot of fresh tea. Regarding sweets, some of our favourite foods of Egypt are served as desserts. 

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Why not consider travelling around Egypt on a Group Tour? We recommend Expat Explore. They offer a variety of group tours in Egypt to suit everyone.

Check out the great range of group tours in Egypt with Expat Explore. If you find the perfect trip for you, use our promo code VERYHUNGRYNOMADS at checkout for an additional 5% off your trip!

Alternatively, G Adventures is another tour company we recommend. They’ve got a great range of small group tours in Egypt. Check them out here.

Have you eaten anything on our list of popular food in Egypt? Tell us in the comments below about your all-time favourite foods of Egypt.

Travel Tips for Africa

If you’re interested to learn more about what they eat in all 54 countries in Africa, check out our Food Map of AFRICA below. It’s fascinating to see how the cuisine varies across this massive continent.

We’ve got many memories of eating incredible food around the world. These 9 delicious foods in Syria were a major highlight for us and even these 8 West African dishes surprised us as being more enjoyable than expected. We also wrote a detailed blog on Food of Algeria, Street Food Tunisia and what to eat in Mauritius.

We’re often asked if we get ill when eating street food worldwide, and the answer to this is rarely at all. We do take care to make the right choices about the food we consume, perhaps our 7 tips for how to find the best food when travelling will explain how we do this.

I’m sure that one of the 10 reasons why you should visit Oman is because of the cuisine, it is wonderful! I’d go on another 7 day road trip in Oman just to taste all the food again.