Here's What A Quintessential Breakfast Looks Like In Egypt

In the United States, breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day. On the weekends, tables are crowded with plates of pancakes, sausages, and hash browns, while lines extend out the door and around the block at popular bagel shops. During the week, some people leave early to account for the time that it takes to grab their go-to fast food breakfast sandwich or set reminders to prepare overnight oats the evening before. Of course, there are others who have embraced fusion cuisines, biting into everything from breakfast burritos to Middle Eastern mezze platters for their first meal. In the U.S., breakfast can be anything you want it to be. However, in Egypt, things look slightly different.

Whether you are planning to tour the Great Pyramids or take a cruise down the Nile River, there are a few foods and dishes that you can expect to find on the breakfast table in Egypt. While specifics will vary from person to person (just as in the U.S.), some of the most common Egyptian breakfast foods include foul medames (a fava bean stew, usually served with a fried egg), aish baladi (a whole wheat flatbread), beid bel basturma (an Armenian-Egyptian dish of eggs and beef), ta'ameya (a fava bean falafel), and gibna beda (a fresh white cheese). None of this is complete, however, without a hot cup of tea or Turkish coffee.

While slightly more specific than what you might find served on breakfast tables across the U.S., what's beautiful about Egyptian breakfast (and other breakfasts from around the world) is that there are options for just about everyone. You may notice that, while eggs are often served on the side of some of the best Egyptian dishes, they aren't necessarily an integral part of breakfast. This is probably a relief for anyone with egg allergies or other aversions to eggs. There are also plenty of options for those who follow plant-based or vegetarian diets. Of course, it helps that fava beans are such a staple of the Egyptian diet. The ta'ameya falafel is made from them and is sometimes served with eggs, cheese, and pita bread. Then, there's foul medames, which is so common that you can even find it served at street stands in big cities.

If you love that meat and cheese are two common ingredients in American breakfast dishes, the good news is that you'll be able to get your fix in Egypt too. Whether eating in town or at your hotel, the best example of this is in the Armenian-Egyptian breakfast dish, beid bel basturma. Made from eggs fried in ghee and basturma (spiced cured beef), beid bel basturma is also served with Egyptian bread that is used in place of cutlery. Nearly all of these dishes are served with aish baladi, too. Paired with a hot cup of tea or Turkish coffee, you'll gain all the energy you need to get you through your itinerary.