The
Essence of.....Egypt
An exploration of the world through food and drink
Essence -ial Information
|
UK Tourist Office |
Egyptian House |
|
Currency |
Egyptian Pound |
|
Capital |
Cairo |
|
Language |
Arabic |
|
Main Airlines |
EgyptAir, Air France, BMI, British Airways |
|
Flying Time from UK |
3511 kms |
|
Visa |
Yes |
PROFILE
The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in the northeastern region of the African continent, bordering both the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The climate is arid and dry and most of the country receives less than one inch of rainfall each year. The Mediterranean may offer Egypt's northern coastline up to eight inches of rainfall each year, and keeps year-round temperatures cooler than the inland deserts. The widespread lack of rainfall makes it extremely difficult to grow crops. Egypt has no forests and only 2 percent of the land is arable (land that can be farmed).
The well-known Nile River, the longest river in the world, runs north and south through eastern Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River Valley, which includes the capital city of Cairo, is the most fertile land in Egypt. Approximately 95 percent of the country's population lives alongside the Nile River. However, overcrowding in this region is threatening Egypt's wildlife and endangering the Nile's water supply.
Egyptian food reflects the country's melting-pot history; native cooks using local ingredients have modified Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian traditions to suit Egyptian budgets, customs, and tastes. The dishes are simple; made with naturally ripened fruits and vegetables and seasoned with fresh spices, they're good and hearty. Food in the south, closely linked to North African cuisine, is more zesty than that found in the north, but neither is especially hot. The best cooking is often found in the smaller towns. Although Egyptian cooking can be bland and oily when poorly done, most of the cuisine is delicious.
Egyptian cuisine is characterized by dishes such as Ful Medames, Kushari, rice-stuffed pigeon, Mulukhiyya, and Fetir Meshaltet. Egyptian cuisine also shares similarities with food of the Eastern Mediterranean region, such as rice-stuffed vegetables, grape leaves, Shawerma, Kebab, Falafel, Baba Ghannoug, and baklava.
The traditional Egyptian breakfast is ‘ful’ which is a kind of bean stew and extremely filling, but larger hotels and cruise ships will offer a buffet breakfast with just about anything you could possibly imagine, including a wide range of breads and cakes. Smaller hotels tend to stick to a continental breakfast of croissants or bread rolls with jam, honey, or cheese and tomatoes and sometimes eggs. Plain yoghurt is also popular.
The common ‘Aysh’ or Egyptian bread is an unleavened circle of coarse dough (and sand) a little like pitta bread, or larger loaves or rolls of risen white dough. Bakeries are abundant and the choice of pastries and very sweet cakes makes your mouth water.
Dishes
Baba Ghannoug a condiment made with eggplants, chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, cumin and oil.
Dolma also known as "mahshi waraa enab", grape leaves stuffed with a rice mixture that can be made either with sauteed ground beef or vegetarian style. The rice is seasoned with crushed red tomatoes, onion, parsley, dill, salt, pepper and Egyptian spices. This mixture is then stuffed and rolled into an individual grape leaf, placed in a pot and topped with tomato sauce and lemon or lime.
Du'aah a dry mixture of chopped nuts, seeds, Middle Eastern spices, and flavors.
Kabab usually of lamb meat, chops and minced meat on skewers grilled on charcoal.
Kofta
Kishk milk or yogurt added to flour, sometimes seasoned with fried onions and chicken broth.
Mahshi a stuffing of rice, seasoned with herbs and spices, into vegetables like green peppers, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, or cabbage leaves. The stuffed vegetable is then placed in a pot and topped with tomato sauce and lemon or lime.
Moussaka sliced eggplants that are lightly grilled and placed in a flat pan with sliced onions, green peppers, and jalapeños. It is then covered with a red sauce made of tomato paste and Egyptian spices. This pan is cooked in the oven for 30–40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Mulukhiyah green soup prepared in various styles, wherein the mallow leaves are very finely chopped, with ingredients such as garlic and coriander added to give it a characteristic aromatic taste.
Rice-stuffed pigeon may also be stuffed with wheat and herbs, then roasted or grilled.
Roz Meaammar rice made by adding milk and chicken soup to the rice and letting it into the oven. Eaten instead of white rice. Very popular in Egypt.
Shawerma a popular sandwich of shredded beef, lamb or chicken meat, usually rolled in pita bread with Tahina sauce and a relatively recent import from the Levant.
Tehina sesame paste dip or spread made of sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Typically served with pita bread.
Tehina salad a condiment made with sesame butter, chickpeas, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, cumin and olive oil.
Bram rice rice made with milk in a special kind of plate, usually stuffed with chicken liver
Koubeiba Kofta with bulghur wheat and meat
Macaroni bechamel similar to the Greek Pastitsio
Shack-shooka Eggs with tomato sauce and vegetables
Samak mashwy grilled fish
Samak makly fried fish
Torly a tray of baked squash, potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomato sauce
Calamari squid, fried and served with tartar sauce, or grilled