Egyptian cuisine is very underrated and many people don’t know much about it. Our cuisine has many dishes that were eaten through our ancestors in Ancient Egypt until today, and many elements from migrants or invaders, where even then we added our own special Egyptian touch to it

Egyptian cuisine is v diverse given that every region within Egypt has its own sub-cuisine within it, so I don’t know every single dish but if there is one I neglected to mention feel free to include it or let me know and I will include it & I’ll add sources at the end of thread

1. Koshary: Egypt’s National dish which consists of brown lentils, fried rice, pasta, vermicelli, tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, chickpeas and fried onions.

According to Samira Abdelkader, who is a writer and researcher in Egyptian cuisine, she writes in her book “الطبخ أصله مصري” that koshary has existed since ancient Egypt, where lentils chickpeas and onions were eaten until the Middle Ages when rice was introduced.

Different variations of koshary exist in different regions. The Alexandrian version for example uses yellow instead of brown lentils and no tomato sauce and with a fried egg.

2. Molokhiya: Known as Jew’s Mellow, it is eaten throughout many different countries within Africa and Asia, with many different versions. Yet the Egyptian is known to be more of a thick soup, eaten with rice and chicken commonly.

Nawal Nasarallah writes in her book “Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table: A Fourteenth-Century Egyptian Cookbook” that ancient Egyptian tombs & coffin murals depict abundance of molokhiya. It was believed to be a healing soup resulting in pharaohs consuming on it.

Besides the typical Egyptian version that’s eaten throughout Egypt and other parts of the world; other versions of molokhiya exist in Egypt including with shrimp which is eaten in Port Said & Alexandria and the Nubian version eaten with eggs.

While not a dish; bread is very significant to Egyptians. In the Egyptian dialect we call it عيش in contrast to many other Arab countries who call it خبز. The term عيش comes from the world العيشه meaning living, to symbolise that bread is the livelihood of Egyptians and pivotal

3. Falafel/Ta3miya:Falafel, meaning “of many beans” in Coptic, originated in Egypt by Coptic Christians as to create a meal to help with their fast. The 🇪🇬 version has fava beans vs the Levant version having chickpeas.Called ta3miya in Egypt except Alexandria, who call it falafel

4. Mesa3a: an eggplant dish containing eggplants, grounded meat, and a layer of bachamel. Similar to the Greek version of Moussaka.

5. Feteer Meshaltet: or also called just feteer is an Egyptian flaky layered pastry that contains thin layers of dough. The term literally means “cushioned pies”

It is very common to see feteer eaten in breakfast,especially paired with a mixture of molasses and tahini. You can however also see a savory version of it stuffed with sausages or basterma and vegetables.

6. Hamam Mahshi or Stuffed Pigeons/Squab: the practice of domesticating and eating pigeons have existed since Ancient Egypt, which was considered a delicacy and still eaten by Modern Egyptians today. It is usually stuffed with rice or freekeh.

7. Hawawshi: a traditional Egyptian dish which consists of bread stuffed with minced meat combined with onions pepper parsley. This dish was made by Ahmed Al-Hawawsh in Cairo in 1971 and then spread into the rest of Egypt. Most hawawshi is made with Egyptian baladi bread.

The Alexandrian Hawawshi however is placed within two layers of dough and contain different spices and seasoning. It can also be referred to as “عيش بلحمة" literally meaning bread with meat

8. Roz Meammer or Egyptian Baked Rice: Traditionally baked in clay pots usually containing ghee, cream and milk. This rice can also be stuffed with liver, meat or chicken.

9. Fatta: A dish consisting of rice, soaked bread in meat broth, tomato sauce &meat. It is believed that the dish has existed since Ancient Egypt from evidence through the Sobek Temple, where an Egyptian priestess named Kara where she slaughtered a sheep and made the first fatta.

10. Kahk: An Egyptian pastry that is rooted as far back as ancient Egypt, it would be shaped in a circle to represent the sun’s shape and the straight lines carved within the dough represent the rays. Kahk was eaten during many holidays in ancient egypt and still consumed today.

Different fillings of the kahk include dates, walnuts or just plain and sprinkled with sugar on top. It is very popular during Eid Al Fitr.

11. Kebda Iskandrani: Known as Alexandrian Liver, is the most famous version of cooking liver in Egypt. Making fried liver with cumin, garlic, cardamom and chili peppers, served in 3eish feino (an Egyptian style baguette bread) with tahini dip and lemon.

12. Ma7shi: meaning “stuffed”, a rice and vegetable mixture is done and stuffed in many different types of vegetables; the most common being grape leaves and cabbage, but peppers, squash, eggplant and tomatoes are other types. The stuffing can also include meat.

13. Ful Medames: paired with falafel to symbolize the typical Egyptian breakfast,discoveries in 12th dynasty pharaonic tombs it originated in ancient egypt & “medames” being a Coptic word meaning “buried”, as the beans are cooking in metal/clay pots.

14. Mombar/3osban: This dish consists of animal intestines stuffed with a rice and vegetable mixture, a similar concept to ma7shi. It is considered an appetizer.

15. Romy Cheese/Turkey Cheese: One of the most popular Egyptian cheeses, considered a hard cheese that is flavorful and salty, containing a sharp flavor. Peppercorns may be added to it and it’s a typical addition to an Egyptian breakfast.

16. Arish Cheese: Similar to cottage cheese, it is an Egyptian origin cheese. It is usually eaten with tomatoes or with watermelon on the side, a simple Egyptian breakfast or lunch.

17. Domiati Cheese/Gebna Beida: Considered the most popular type of cheese in Egypt & named after the Egyptian city of Damietta, it is believed to have originated in Egypt after 332 BC. This cheese also comes in different flavors like olive or basterma. it is a very creamy cheese

18. Mish Cheese: This is fermented salty cheese that derives from arish cheese. This cheese tends to be more spicy and flavorful. It is believed this was the cheese that was discovered at a tomb in Saqqara from 3200 BC.

19. Macarona Bachamel: An Egyptian comfort food that consists of penne pasta and minced meat along with a creamy bachamel sauce.

20. Bissara: Meaning cooked beans in the ancient Egyptian language, bissara is a comfort dip typically eaten during winter made from fava beans and herbs.