National food in Egypt is a strange mixture of different culinary traditions. There are dishes typical for the entire Middle East, and a clear influence of Mediterranean cuisine, and very special food that is prepared only in this country.
Egyptian cuisine has several characteristic features
Popularity of legumes. This is a valuable source of protein, and much cheaper than meat. Almost all the most popular Egyptian dishes are prepared from beans, beans, lentils or chickpeas.
Original meat dishes. Lamb, goat, rabbit, poultry, less often beef and never pork are used for cooking. An abundance of fish and seafood dishes.
Frequent use of vegetables – fresh, boiled, stewed. Eggplants are probably in first place in Egypt, but salads from fresh vegetables and vegetable soups are prepared here very often.
A small selection of cereals. Locals eat rice, bulgur and couscous, other grains are almost never found.
Generous use of spices. Most of them are familiar – black and red pepper, cloves, coriander, cumin, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla. But there are also special ones, almost never found in European cuisine. First of all, this is mastic – light golden pieces of resin that are added to meat to give it a gamey aroma. Another amazing spice is mahleb, ground kernels from wild cherry pits.