ABOUT EGYPTIAN FOOD

• History of Egyptian food
• Egyptian food, drinks, and culture
• Restaurants of national food
• New Al-Husseini Restaurant
• Sea-Bride Restaurant

History of Egyptian food

Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians left evidence of their love for food. Well-preserved wall paintings and carvings have been discovered on tombs and temples, depicting large feasts and a variety of foods. Many of these ancient foods are still eaten in Egyptian households today. Peas, beans, cucumbers, dates, figs, and grapes were popular fruits and vegetables in ancient times. Wheat and barley, ancient staple crops, were used to make bread and beer. Fish and poultry were also popular. Dried fish was prepared by cleaning the fish, coating the pieces with salt, and placing them the sun to dry. Fasieekh (salted, dried fish) remains a popular meal in Egypt nowadays.

For dessert, the Egyptians liked to eat dates. Some real Egyptian dates which were put into somebody's grave for them to eat in the next world, and which were preserved in the dry climate for three thousand years until archaeologists dug them up again. Archaeologists have also found seeds which show that the Egyptians grew watermelons, and other kinds of melon.

The unique Egyptian cuisine has been influenced throughout history, particularly by its neighbors from the Middle East. Persians (modern-day Iraqis), Greeks, Romans (modern-day Italians), Arabs, and Ottomans (from modern-day Turkey) first influenced Egyptian cuisine thousands of years ago. More recently, the foods of other Arabic people in the Middle East such as the Lebanese, Palestinians, Syrians, as well as some foods from Europe, have affected the Egyptian diet. However, Egyptian cuisine maintains its uniqueness. After thousands of years, rice and bread remain staple foods, and molokhiyya (a spinach-like vegetable) and ful mudammas (cooked, creamy fava beans), a national dish, are nearly as popular as long ago.

Some might wonder what makes food from Egypt unique and what has molded and influenced it. Not surprisingly, much has! On the border of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, Egypt’s weather is quite dry and hot. In fact, most of Egypt receives only an inch of rain annually! For this reason, almost the entire Egyptian population resides along the banks of the famous Nile River, which is crucial to the well-being of those who rely on it for drinking and irrigation. Because Egypt was very dry, and relied mostly on the Nile River to water the crops, the Egyptians could only grow certain kinds of food. Mainly they grew wheat and barley. The Egyptians made the wheat into bread and into soup and porridge, and they also added hops to make the barley into beer. In fact, some people think the real reason that the Egyptians first began growing grain was to make beer.

The Egyptians also ate meat. You could go to a butcher shop and buy meat there, just as people do today.

Egyptian Food, Drink, and Culture

Egypt has several national dishes. Aish baladi (a dry wheat bread), kofta (spicy lamb), lamb kebabs, ful midamess (spicy bean paste with onions and tomatoes), tahini (sesame paste), and koushari (lentils, macaroni pasta, rice, and chick peas) being the most well-known.

Mint teas are also very popular. Because much of the Egyptian populace is made up of lower-to-middle-class citizens, wine is rare and usually reserved for the wealthy, but with an abundance of barley and because it is affordable, beer is quite common.

Before dinner, non-alcoholic cocktails are sometimes served to relax and set the mood with, as well as to socialize and get acquainted. Appetizers, salads, and dips might also be served at this time. The dinner meal is usually eaten very late in the day. Bread is a part of all meals, which may also include vegetables, soups, rice and/or other grains and meat. After dinner guests will relax in another room and sip coffee or mint tea. Rich, heavy desserts in the common sense are not typical and only consist of fresh fruits and honey. Egyptian ice cream recipes are referred to as Bbouzat haleeb. It is expected that the guests should pay tribute to their cook and be very gracious.

The restaurants of national food

To visit Dahab and not to taste the traditional food? It is unbelievable! Here you will find a lot of possibilities to touch a great history of life of Egypt and Sinai, and the national food is one of the ways to do it. And that is very tasty way! Chefs of a big amount of cosy restaurants are glad to offer you nice traditional dishes cooked with fresh seafood, beans, meat and served with fresh vegetables and heart smiles of personnel.

We want to recommend you two restaurants next door from Dahab Plaza Hotel: "New Al-Husseini Restaurant" and "Sea Bride Restaurant".

New Al-Husseini Restaurant

It is very close to Dahab Plaza Hotel. Here you can take a very tasty lunch or dinner. You will be nicely surprised with a very cheap prices for meat or chicken dishes served in national style – with rice, traditional soup, beans or potatoes and fresh vegetable salad.

Sea-Bride Restaurant

Another recommended restaurant is "Sea Bride Restaurant". It is also located very near to Dahab Plaza Hotel. But the main direction of this place is a seafood.

The chef of this restaurant will cook the traditional dishes for you with fresh fish, grilled or fried – according to your own choice – calamary, shrimps. The food will be also served in egyptian traditional style – with seafood soup, rice, fresh vegetable salad, national egyptian bread.

This restaurant is offering to your choice three floors: first floor, roomy second floor and nice veranda on the roof with amazing sea view and mountain view.

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