Egyptian

Egyptian cooking is hearty and bean-heavy, the food of the Nile rather than the spice markets. The national dish is koshari, a street-food bowl of rice, macaroni, and lentils topped with tomato sauce, chickpeas, and crisp fried onions, with a garlic-vinegar and chili sauce poured over. Ful medames — fava beans stewed slowly and mashed with olive oil, lemon, and cumin — is the everyday breakfast, usually scooped up with flatbread (aish baladi). Ta'ameya is the Egyptian falafel, made from dried fava beans instead of chickpeas and crusted with sesame. Molokhia, a green soup made from finely chopped jute leaves with garlic and coriander, is served over rice with chicken or rabbit. For dessert there's basbousa, a semolina cake soaked in syrup, and konafa, shredded pastry with nuts or cream.