Cairo

Egypt’s capital, Cairo is the gateway to the fascinating Pyramids in nearby Giza, a dream destination and a fantastic destination to dine on delicious Egyptian cuisine. The city is brimming with elegant dining options and busy street food vendors to fill your stomach with tasty, hearty, flavorful north African food. Float along the Nile on a mystical river dinner cruise, snack on shawarma and kebabs at authentic restaurants, and savor the flavor of delicious dips like hummus outside charming cafes. The city of Cairo is a great destination for a different kind of food travel experience, with dishes derived from fresh ingredients, exotic spices, and slow cooking.

Must Savor Specialties: Simit (Turkish baked good, sesame covered bread, served with hard-boiled eggs), Hawawshi (pita bread stuffed with flavorful minced meat), bean stew (flavored with cumin and olive oil, served with pita and french bread), koshary (a hearty dish with rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, and crispy fried onions, in a tomato vinegar sauce), hamam mahshi (cooked pigeon, marinated, stuffed with a mixture of rice or wheat, onions, cinnamon, cumin, and nuts), Ta’meya (Egyptian falafel, crushed fava beans made into a paste, then fried), ful mudammas (fava beans cooked in a pot of qedra), Egyptian pizza (filo pastry layers served plain or with meats, cheese, and vegetables, or sweet with syrup, honey, and sugar), Shawarma (layers of meat placed on a spit and grilled, then shaved off and loaded into a chunk of bread), Kofta (minced beef or lamb with spices, rolled then grilled).

Alexandria

Alexandria, nicknamed the Pearl of the Mediterranean, is one of the oldest cities in the world founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, and the second-largest city in the country. The city boasts a rich culture, deep history, and has emerged as one of Egypt’s culinary destinations, often referred to as the food capital of Egypt. Nestled along the seaside on the southern coast of the Mediterranean, Alexandria affords a great location for dining on delicious fresh fish and seafood including squid, crab, and fish. Egyptian breakfasts are a memorable dining experience in the city, a table filled with delicious dishes to fill you up. Fondue is famous in Egypt with the secret 7 cheese mixture that is fragrant and served with a huge variety of meats, seafood, and bread. The street food scene here has gained a lot of attention rivaling the streets of Cairo.

Must Savor Specialties: Koshari (national dish, rice, lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and fried onions), Alexandrian liver sandwiches, sujuk, makanek, fava bean stew, fried cheese, seafood, hamam mahshi (grilled pigeon with spicy broth stuffed with peppers and onions), molten cakes, chocolate pasta, Alban Swissra (Egyptian fondue, 7 cheese recipe with seafood, chicken schnitzel, or deli meat on Vienna bread), Gelati, ice cream, creamy gelato, Alexandrian harissa (a dessert made of semolina wheat, drenched in fragrant syrup).

Luxor

Luxor is a great city offering plenty of delicious food for visitors to try, with authentic Egyptian establishments to European-inspired restaurants, and Western fast food. There are many restaurants dotted along the banks of the Nile River, and many are found in the local hotels. There is an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and legumes grown in the verdant lush Nile Valley, these fresh ingredients are used to cook some delicious traditional Egyptian food. Most Egyptian dishes will include the staples of bread, rice, vegetables, beans, lentils, and onions as well as fish being so close to the Nile.

Must Savor Specialties: Ful Medames (most popular street food, a paste of mashed broad fava beans flavored with olive oil and garlic, stuffed in pita bread), aish baladi (Egypt’s version of pita bread), hamam mahshi (grilled pigeon stuffed with rice or wheat), mouloukhiya (stew with chicken or rabbit, garlic, and mallow), duck, risotto, grilled lobster, Tamiya (mashed fava beans and parsley, flat discs eaten like a sandwich), koshari (mix of rice, brown lentils, macaroni topped with fried onions and spicy tomato sauce), Shawarma (pressed lamb or chicken rotated over a flame, sliced then served with chopped tomato, onion, and parsley with flatbread), Kebabs (spiced minced meat made into sausage, and grilled on a skewer with tomato and cucumber salad with flatbread).

Aswan

Aswan is filled with beautiful sights including the magnificent Nile River, the city offers a number of fantastic dining options. There are great restaurants dotted all over the city, some can be found in the bustling souq area, along the Corniche, dinner river cruises on the Nile, and others on the banks of the Nile with majestic views. The main cuisine in Aswan is authentic Egyptian cuisine, and a few Nubain restaurants accompanied with cultural dinner shows, think flame-grilled lamb kebabs with a mouth-watering tomato, and cucumber salad.

Must Savor Specialties: Shawarma, Fattah (rice, beef, eggs, and fried bread), koshary (macaroni, rice, and beans flavored with tomatoes, onions, garlic and topped with a tangy sauce), fresh fruit, flower, and bean drinks (tamarind, carob, foam, hibiscus, and orchid juices), Baba ghanoush (smokey eggplant based dip), Hummus (mashed chickpeas), Duqqa (mixture of nuts, herbs, and spices made into a dip).