Blog Like an Egyptian

I got so carried away with yesterday’s entry on food, I had to stop before I got to some of the culinary highlights of the trip!

One such highlight was koshary, whichconsists of pasta, rice, lentils, chick peas and onions, covered in chili sauce and (optionally) vinegar and garlic.  I was a bit skeptical at first but quickly devoured my first bowl following our trip to the Sphinx.  It didn’t taste too different from a lot of pasta dishes we eat in America, but it was a bit spicier than most.

Several street vendors specialize in koshary, and many restaurants in Cairo pretty much only serve the traditional lunch dish.  You ask for a small bowl or a big bowl, they fill it up, and you’re on your way.

I tried taking a picture of the mixture, but my camera wasn’t too fond of close-up shots.  Pity.

But the best culinary highlight was Gad.  What is Gad?  Gad is love, my friends.  Gad would bring about world peace, if only the owners would expand out of Egypt.  Yes, this is an Egypt-only restaurant chain.  I’d like to do something about that.

Why is that?  Egyptian pancakes.

Okay, so that’s not the best photo.  But stick with me here.  Egyptian pancakes — who knows how they’re made (I can’t find a recipe anywhere) — come topped with your choice of toppings, including sugar, cream, nuts, honey … whatever.  You have choices.  Some come stuffed with vegetables.  My particular favorite is a pancake topped with honey.

They take about a half hour to cook, and good luck finishing one.  I couldn’t do it.  They’re served as dessert in Egypt, but our group devoured them for dinner on a pretty regular basis.  They’re just a little crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Of course, Gad’s menu raised a few eyebrows among the group members.  For instance, take this (blurry) snapshot from the sandwiches portion of the menu.

I wasn’t content to make up my own cracks about a Viagra sandwich on Gad’s menu, so when our guide took us there for dinner, I asked him about it.  Turns out, it’s not a bunch of little blue pills stuffed into a pita pocket.  Nope.  It’s just a seafood sandwich.

It was funny, though.  I started to ask him by saying, “Okay, this is a weird question, but something on Gad’s menu threw me off …” He already knew what I was about to ask and chuckled.

And no, I didn’t try a Viagra sandwich.  I was too busy choosing between Egyptian pancakes to try.

Running a close second to Egyptian pancakes in the “delicious” category was shawarma.

Shawarma is one of those dishes I will probably never have again, on account of the equipment that goes into making it.  Basically, vendors and restaurants put a giant slab of beef on a spit and let it cook for a long, long time.  Once the meat is cooked (chicken and lamb can also be used), it is shaved onto a grill below the slab and cooked with some combination of onion, peppers and tomatoes.

Once all that is mixed together, it’s served in a sandwich roll.  It’s a fast food dish, but that doesn’t make it any less tasty!

The great thing about food in Egypt is that it’s all so cheap.  The shawarma cost just a bit more than $1 US.  Egyptian pancakes generally topped out at $2-$4 US.  It’s definitely possible to go into an Egyptian restaurant and fill up on $4 US.  In fact, the only times I spent any more than that came when I ate at American restaurants.

The best thing about this trip was probably how I tried foods without even knowing what they were.  If it was put in front of me, I at least gave it a shot.  Anyone who knows me can probably tell you … that’s unlike me.  I’m not an adventurous guy, especially when it comes to food.  But being in Egypt changed all that.  Now, I’m excited to try new things and see what’s out there.