Cairo

There are a couple of things I make an effort to find in any new city- a coffee shop, and a bookstore with books in English. I guess that says something about me? The bookstore, in part because they feel like a second home to me, and part because there is never room in my pack for much in the way of books. So I read and leave behind as I finish, prompting the need for a fresh supply.

I’m mentioning those things because I’ve found my way to the same coffee shop that I’ve visited each day here in Cairo. I only just realized this visit that the upstairs is the smoking section, and the ground floor is non-smoking. I came here to tell you about the food tour I took last evening. There’s no place to hang out at my hotel, aside from my room. It has lovely air-con, which I find valuable in this heat. But it has no view, no windows that open, no balcony. While it’s cool, comfortable and clean enough, the only ambience is the chandelier that changes colors like a disco ball- I kid you not. From here I see the life of the city passing the windows- cars, carts, even donkeys pulling carts, people in every kind of attire, street sweepers, bicycles, and a massive construction project across the street. So here I am.

I have seen other travelers talk about doing a food tour in larger cities, in which they get an introduction to some of the cuisine and along with it some cultural and historical information. When I searched for a food tour in Cairo, Bellies En-Route came up with excellent reviews. It’s owned by two Cairene women, and our guide last evening was a young woman named Mariam. She met me and three others-Chelsea, Jerome and Mike- in front of the Hardees on Tahrir Square, which is a pretty central spot in downtown Cairo. The other three are from Connecticut and had just arrived that afternoon. Here’s the happy crew-

We got to taste some traditional Egyptian food, such as koshari, ful and taamiya sandwiches, arabic coffee, so many kinds of juices, baba ghanoug, aish baladi (a delicious flat bread) and more. What made it especially interesting is that Mariam was able to take us into the kitchens, and let us see the dishes coming together. Koshari’s ingredients don’t sound promising but the result is delicious, crunchy and filling. It has macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli, lentils, rice, chickpeas, served with a savory tomato sauce and topped with a slightly spicy garlic and vinegar combination. Ful is made from fava beans, and taamiya is falafel. The Egyptian version adds fennel, onions, garlic, a lot of cilantro and spices. The sandwich has tahini as well. There were a couple other dishes that included fava beans, all with incredible spices and other flavors that I’ve completely mixed up in my head. I really tried to eat small portions, but still I was full-ish after about 3 stops.

Fortunately the coffee stop involved very small tastes of coffee made the way Beduins made it- with no roaster, they laid the coffee beans out in the sun to partially roast. The resulting coffee looks more like a light color tea. Mariam said that Egyptians like to add cardamom to their coffee as well.

We also tried some cow brain – not a big winner for anyone in our group

In between stops, the views of life on the street distracted me as Mariam played mama duck to us ducklings. Crossing the street in Cairo involves nothing like a crosswalk. Instead it’s a lot like a game of Frogger. It’s a delight that we’ll never know in the US.