Cairo Food Guide: Koshari, Ful & Egyptian Street Food

Cairo's food culture is one of the Arab world's most deeply rooted — a cuisine that has fed a civilization for 5,000 years and continues to sustain one of the world's most densely populated cities on a diet of extraordinary flavour and remarkable economy. Koshari is Cairo's definitive dish: a vegetarian mix of rice, lentils, macaroni, fried onion, tomato sauce, and garlic vinegar assembled in layers and served in casual restaurants across the city for pennies. Koshari El Tahrir, near Tahrir Square, has served the definitive version since 1950. Ful medames — fava beans slow-cooked overnight with olive oil, lemon, and cumin — is the Egyptian breakfast, best from the bronze cauldrons of the street carts that operate from dawn. Ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel, made with fava rather than chickpeas) in warm bread with tomato and tahini is the streetside morning staple. Kosheri, hawawshi (spiced minced meat in bread), feteer (layered pastry with sweet or savoury fillings), and om ali (Egyptian bread pudding) complete the essential food vocabulary. The Khan el-Khalili bazaar's tea houses serve shisha and strong Egyptian tea with mint.