Egyptian food is one of the underrated aspects of any trip to the Red Sea. Anyone who looks beyond the hotel buffet discovers a spicy, hearty cuisine full of surprises.
The 10 best dishes
*1. Koshari* — The national dish: rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, onions and spicy tomato sauce. Cheap, filling, incredibly tasty.
*2. Ful Medames* — Slowly cooked fava beans with olive oil, garlic and lemon — the classic Egyptian breakfast.
*3. Mahshi* — Vegetables stuffed with rice and herbs (courgette, peppers, vine leaves) — a real feast.
*4. Hawawshi* — Egyptian minced meat sandwich in crispy bread. Street food at its finest.
*5. Feteer Meshaltet* — Egyptian puff pastry, sweet with honey or savoury with cheese.
*6. Molokhia* — Soup from the jute plant with chicken or rabbit. Typical Nile Valley cuisine.
*7. Sayadeya* — Fresh fish on spiced rice — right on the Red Sea. Try it at Hurghada's harbour!
*8. Om Ali* — Egyptian bread pudding with cream, nuts and raisins — the most popular dessert.
*9. Shawarma* — Particularly good in Egypt with local spices. Best fresh off the grill.
*10. Black tea with mint* — Strong Egyptian tea with fresh mint. In a Bedouin camp under the stars — that is Egypt at its purest.