It is customary to start a meal in Egypt with appetizers. This tradition requires only one comment: appetizers are so delicious that you can eat them before the main course is served.
Ful medames is a bean puree seasoned with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Ful medames can be simply spread on bread or eaten with an omelet, boiled eggs, fresh vegetables. This dish has many variations: if you see the name “Fulia bi l khodra” or “Ful bi l zebda” on the menu, feel free to order it.
Gibna Domiati is a soft cheese made from buffalo (sometimes from cow’s) milk. This cheese is sold in cans, and aging only improves its taste. Therefore, gibna domiati can be taken with you as a reminder of your vacation or as a tasty gift.
Dukka is a mixture of crushed nuts and aromatic herbs (usually coriander, sesame, cumin, mint and thyme) with the addition of salt. This dish can hardly be called just an appetizer, since dukkah is used as a breading or as a spice mixture for meat and fish.
But the most wonderful way to eat this fragrant dish is to break off a piece of bread, dip it in olive oil, then in dukkah and put it in your mouth. For such a snack, flatbread “aish baladi” or soft Egyptian bread “semet” are suitable.