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There are several types of African food from different African countries, but there is one special African country delicacy that everyone should get involved with, and that is the delicious and nutrient-filled Egyptian delicacies.
You cannot say you have tried a good number of African delicacies if you have not had at least three of the delicious Egyptian delicacies that you are going to be reading about here on this article about 10 delicious Egyptian delicacies you must try.
If you are a lover of food and you have been looking for some delicious African delicacies to try, this is your sign to get up and hop on the delicious African delicacies train, starting with this list of delicious Egyptian delicacies.
This list of delicious Egyptian delicacies is not just for those who are looking to explore the amazing world of African delicacies; Are you in Egypt for one reason to the other? It can be pretty hard being in a new environment, especially a new country, some of the questions that come to mind would be ”what can I eat?” Well, that is why you have the African food network here to guide you and give you amazing ideas on some of the delicious African delicacies in these countries; To ease some of the stress from your mind and make your experience amazing and healthy.
If you had no idea before now, then this is us telling you that, deciding to try out new and delicious African delicacies is one of the best decisions you will be making.
African dishes incorporate a lot of healthy ingredients like veggies, herbs, spices and so many more to their amazing ingredients; These nutrient-filled ingredients that are usually used for the preparation of these delicious African delicacies are known to have great health benefits, and they will help with the improvement of the general health while giving you an amazing taste.
Egypt is not left out of the list of African countries with healthy and delicious delicacies, if not, why then would we be bringing you this list of ten delicious Egyptian delicacies you must try?
Before we look into the 10 delicious Egyptian delicacies, let us take a closer look at Egypt, just so you would get familiar with the African country.
An Overview Of Egypt
Egypt is known to be the largest Arab country, not just that, the Egyptians are popular for their agricultural activities. The capital of Egypt is Cairo and is also the heartland of the Nile River delta and valley.
The ancient civilization might have had a lot of influence on some delicious Egyptian delicacies and the Egyptian culinary landscape in general.
Egyptian dishes are also known to have some similarities with some Eastern Mediterranean delicacies (some delicacies like kofta, shawarma, kebabs, and rice stuffed vegetables), Egypt has also learned to cultivate and grow their local cuisines, and some of these delicacies rely on some of the old banks of the River Nile.
It is very hard to find an African country that would not be proud of their traditional delicacies, which is one of the beauties of tradition, and Egypt as a country also shared some of the pride of their traditional delicacies.
Egyptian cuisine is a colorful, flavor-filled, and rich diet, which mostly consists of vegetables and legumes. These few ingredients are also seasoned with different types of herbs, spices, coriander, cinnamon, chiefly cumin, clove, mint, and cardamom. Most of these herbs and spices are grown in Egypt.
Meat is another friend of the Egyptian cuisines because it is beginning to gather fame in Egypt, which is great. After all, meat is a thing to love. Although in Egypt, meat can be quite expensive, it is not something that is eaten very often, compared to the other vegetarian delicacies.
There are a few other types of meat that are commonly used for the preparation of some of these delicious Egyptian delicacies, and they are rabbit, pigeon, offal (from sheep), cattle, chicken, liver, and duck.
There might also be some incorporations of seafood into the diet, but the most popular one would be the fish. These are a few other popular infusions that are incorporated in these Egyptian delicacies, but the most popular inclusion would be the food that is planted and harvested from the soil.
Egypt is an amazing country and they are known for so many things, and their delicacies are one of them.
Now that you know a little bit about Egypt, don’t you want to know more about the delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacies?
10 Delicious Egyptian Delicacies You Must Try
Basbousa
This is a popular staple in the Middle East, but due to its richness and sweet flavor, it has become a special delicacy that is being held so close to the hearts of many Egyptians.
This Egyptian dessert is a mix of so many different flavors, this is as a result of the inclusion of some special ingredients that give it its rich flavors. To give this delicious Egyptian delicacy its rich flavors, syrup, cream, and equal nuts are added.
Basbousa is a sweet cake that is often prepared from semolina or farina. The farina is usually soaked in syrup and then pressed until it forms a mound, after the mound is formed, it would then be baked, using an oven.
The flavor of this delicious Egyptian delicacy is also an important aspect of this delicious Egyptian delicacy; Just like we said earlier, the syrup is added to the cake, but to enhance the flavor of this syrup, rose water is added. The addition of rose water is to give the syrup some type of sweet and a savory flavor, allowing you to have the best time with your delicious Egyptian delicacy.
After the rose water is added to flavor the syrup, to finish off the flavoring of this delicious Egyptian delicacy, dried coconut is also added.
If you are a vegan, this is probably one of the best African savory delicacies you should try.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is often enjoyed by the Egyptian population of Coptic Christians, and it is mostly consumed during fasting periods.
What Are The Health Benefits of Basbousa?
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy is highly rich in fiber.
- Basbousa is rich in protein.
- This delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacy helps in the conversion of food to energy.
- Basbousa is rich in vitamin B.
Besarah
Another amazing and nutrient-filled vegetarian dish that everyone would enjoy. This delicious Egyptian delicacy is prepared using fava beans, and they are usually grounded to a thick paste, then the thick paste is seasoned with some special ingredients that enhance and give the Egyptian delicacy its amazing and rich flavor.
Some of the ingredients that are used for the seasoning of this delicious Egyptian delicacy are;
- Green pepper
- Fried onions
- Salt
- Seasoning cubes
- Spices
- Leek
- Dill
Most times, this delicious Egyptian delicacy is enjoyed as a side dish, and also eaten with either any meat of your choice (you can check out this article about different types of meat, and how to enjoy them, here at the African food network.)
Basrah is also very commonly served as a main dish, but it is paired with green onions and Egyptian flatbread.
There are different variations of besarah, this is because in some places in Egypt; the fava beans are often blitzed to a runny paste, which also is used as a dipping sauce. This procedure makes the delicious Egyptian delicacy thinner than the other different types.
This does not stop the delicious Egyptian delicacy from having its great taste and rich flavor.
What Are The Health Benefits of Besarah?
- Besarah is very rich in vitamins
- This Egyptian delicacy is rich in nutrients
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy is great for vegetarians
Fatta
This is another delicious Egyptian delicacy that initially originated from ancient religious ceremonies.
Fatta consists of layers of different types of dishes, like; bread, fried rice, vinegar, meat broth, and tomato sauce.
The meat broth added to those delicious Egyptian delicacies is usually gotten from cow brains or sheep.
There are two major reasons for the popularity of this delicious Egyptian delicacy, and the first one is its richness in flavor and exciting taste, and the other is its fattening content.
Fatta is considered to be a fattening meal, especially if taken every day. To help control the intake of this delicious Egyptian delicacy, it is rarely taken, except during a delicacy’s special religious festivals and special occasions.
Fatta can be found in most restaurants in Egypt, so don’t worry, if you are looking to enjoy this delicious Egyptian delicacy, it is not so far from your reach, they can easily be gotten around you in Egypt.
What Is Egyptian Fatta Made Of?
There are a few ingredients required for the preparation of this delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacy, and they are;
- Chickpeas
- Flatbread
- Oil
- Yogurt
Molohkiya
This is another delicious Egyptian delicacy that you would not want to miss out on, during your visit to Egypt.
With its ingredients being some delicious types of meat and green leafy vegetables. The leafy vegetables are cooked after being chopped, and after the leafy vegetables have been chopped, they are then cooked in a stew with different types of meat like chicken, rabbit, and beef.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is enjoyed with bread or white rice. The leafy vegetables used for the preparation of this delicious Egyptian delicacy usually have a butter flavor. After being boiled and fried, they usually have a silky texture.
In some other places, molokhiya is used as a wrap for seafood, mostly before it gets grilled.
What Is Molokhiya Made Of?
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is made of a leafy vegetable known as the Egyptian molohkiya or the Egyptian spinach, this leafy vegetable is highly nutritious and healthy. it has a rich taste, some would say it has a taste close to spinach.
Hawawshi
This is a very popular Egyptian street food, if you happen to find yourself in Egypt, this is delicious Egyptian delicacy is a must-have.
Hawawshi is also a party dish, this is because of the mix of different types of meat like beef or lamb.
The meat is usually minced and marinated with some spices that give this delicious Egyptian delicacy its spice, flavor, and sweetness.
Some of the ingredients added to the marinade of this dish are; pepper, onions, chili, and parsley.
Some people say hawawshi is very similar to the Middle Eastern Labmacun, this similarly is attributed to the use of two round pieces of dough.
The round pieces of dough are joined together (most times by pressing them against each other around the filling), after they are joined together, it is baked until it turns golden brown.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy can be enjoyed anywhere, and it can also be found almost everywhere around you in Egypt.
If you have been looking for some delicious Egyptian delicacy to enjoy as a family, or something nice and spicy to share with your friends, hawawshi is the Egyptian delicacy for you.
What Goes Into Hawawshi?
When preparing this delicious Egyptian delicacy, there are a few ingredients that are required, and they are;
- Bell pepper
- Pita
- Ginger
- Seasoning
- Onion
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Ground meat
Feseekh
If you are in Egypt during the spring festival of Sham El Nessim (it usually falls on the Monday of Easter) make sure you try feseekh.
This delicious Egyptian cuisine is often regarded as a sacred dish because it is mostly only eaten during this festival.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy consists of fermented mutton that had been dried in the sun, then salted and stored for some time (usually for a few months).
The preparation of this delicious Egyptian delicacy is also often regarded as a sacred practice amongst the Egyptians. This delicious Egyptian delicacy is usually served with galaxy bread, onions, and olive oil.
What Are The Nutritional Benefits Of Feseekh?
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy is known to aid indigestion and constipation.
- This delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacy is known to aid in the treatment of flu.
- The Egyptian feseekh is rich in antioxidants.
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy is known to aid in the improvement of the immune system.
Baladi (Egyptian Pita)
There cannot be a list of delicious Egyptian delicacies if the national bread of Egypt is not included on this list.
Baladi is also known as the national bread of Egypt, it is a glutinous, thick, pita style-bread. The origin of this bread dates back thousands of years. Who does not like a delicious Egyptian delicacy with an interesting back story? Everyone would love that.
It is also the iconic and delicious gamosa utensil of Egypt. Mostly served with vegetables, it is often used to scoop the food.
With the vegetable content of this delicious Egyptian delicacy, you would be sure to get some important nutrients and vitamins that are required by the body. Everyone loves a nutritious and healthy Egyptian delicacy.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is baked at a really high temperature, the high temperatures cause the dough to swell up, which gives it what is described as the ‘airy pita shape’. The space that is created due to the swelling of the dough allows the bread to get stuffed with some delicious filling.
The only way to know what this delicious Egyptian delicacy tastes like is to try it out for yourself, you will be sure to have a treat with the delicious flavor and its nutritional benefits.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Baladi?
- This delicious Eyptian delicacy is known to be one hundred percent vegetarian.
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy is known to be a carb dominant delicacy
- The Egyptian pita is known to be very rich in proteins.
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy aids indigestion.
Sayadeya
This is what some might call an exclusive Egyptian delicacy, this is because it is mostly served in coastal cities like Alexandria, Sues, and Portsaid.
Just like the previous delicious Egyptian delicacy on this list of delicious Egyptian delicacies (fish Baladi); Sayadeya is another amazing and nutritious fish delicacy.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is a baked fish dish, it includes white fish fillet (some of the fish used preferably are lionfish, bass, or bluefish).
The fish is seasoned with some delicious and spicy ingredients. A few of the ingredients used to season this delicious fish dish is;
- Cumin
- Parsley
- Spices.
The fish is usually baked very slowly, and an earthenware pot is used; light Romario sauce and onions are also added, the addition of these ingredients is to allow the flavors to infuse into the fillet.
When the preparation process of the fish is concluded, it is then served with yellow rice on the side and also fish Baladi bread.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Sayadeya?
- Sayadeya is a great energy booster.
- This delicious Egyptian delicacy helps in the reduction of blood pressure.
- TSayadeya is known to help in boosting metabolism.
Bamia
This is another traditional Middle Eastern delicacy. It is very popular for its rich flavor. Bamia is an okra stew. Bamia is the Arabic word for okra.
There are a few ingredients used for the preparation of this delicious Egyptian delicacy and they are; tomatoes, spices, okra, and some other ingredients.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is usually served alongside some other delicious dishes like salad, bread, and rice. If you are a meat lover, this is a delicious delicacy for you because Bamia is an Egyptian delicacy that also consists of lamb meat.
After the lamb meat is cooked in the stew, the lamb meat gets soft and tender, also soaking up the juicy nutrients and flavor of the delicious stew.
To also improve the taste of this delicious Egyptian delicacy, a type of garlic cooking sauce called ta’aleya is added alongside some other ingredients like cardamom, coriander, and onions.
Eggah
Some may say it is similar to the Italian frittata, this delicious Egyptian delicacy is a thick omelet. With eggs being the main ingredient, Eggah is made from a batter of flour, parsley, and eggs. This batter is usually cooked with cumin, spices, and onions.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is usually baked in the oven but a deep skillet. There are different varieties of eggah, and each of these variants is cooked in a special and amazing way. The variations of eggah do not stop it from having an amazing and flavor-filled taste.
This delicious Egyptian delicacy is usually served at lunchtime, with a side of mixed salad and tahini. These are ten delicious, amazing, and nutrient-filled Egyptian delicacies, they are more than enough to choose from.
Remember, you don’t have to feel confused about what types of foods to eat when you are in Egypt.
You don’t even have to be in Egypt to give these delicious Egyptian delicacies a try, you can be anywhere around the world, trying out different African and Egyptian delicacies, this would add some extra spice to your diet.
Other Egyptian Delicacies
- Molokhiya.
- Ta’meya
- Alexandrian Liver Sandwich
- Baqlawa
- Sayadeya.
- Ful Medames.
- Kushari.
Let Us Have A Quick Recap
We looked at a quick overview of Egypt, maybe a little geography, then we had a sneak peek of the origin of Egyptian delicacies.
Learning about some delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacies means you have new African delicacies toad to your diet, giving you more nutrients and also opening your mind to new flavors and styles of cooking.
You can always check out the recipes for these delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacies here at the African food network.
If you are looking to explore a little further into the world of delicious African delicacies, not to worry, there is always something here for you at the African food network.
Have fun experiencing these delicious and healthy Egyptian delicacies and other delicious and healthy African delicacies, don’t forget to be creative with your food, try out new techniques, nourish your body with the right amount of nutrients, drink enough water, and have an amazing day.