FOOD

All over Egypt, and especially in Cairo, you will find an enormous range of high-class Restaurants serving international cuisine including Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican,

Indian, French and Lebanese. There are also branches of international chains such as TGI Fridays, or J.W. Steakhouse. Fruits, vegetables and seafood are all excellent.

Note: Most of the Restaurants mentioned above are available at home , but what i recommend , while in Egypt you must Try the Egyptian food at least as an experience , you will like it  Either it was vegetarian  food such as Koshari , Falafel or Non-vegetarian  such as Kofta & kebab.

Egyptian food is generally similar to many other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cuisines, including stuffed vine leaves, grilled meats, and numerous "dips" traditionally Eaten with Pitta-style bread. Rice with vegetables in tomato sauce, and pasta dishes Baked in a similar way to lasagna, are both common. Specialties include stuffed or spit Broiled pigeons, shish kebabs made of marinated chunks of lamb and spices, then Grilled over hot charcoal and small ground lamb kebabs called kofta.

Seafood is a good choice with prawns from the Red Sea, sea bass from the Mediterranean and a wonderful fish dish, tilapia, from the Nile.The national dish of Egypt may be considered to be Foul Mudhammas. Ful or Fava Beans are cooked in Olive oil and garlic, flavored with lemon, cumin and parsley and often served with an egg for breakfast.

Egyptian food is often flavored with mint, dill, parsley, garlic and cumin. A nice way to Sample different recipes is to have a mezze,or selection of little dishes washed down With the local Zibib or aniseed flavored aperitif .

Dishes might include Babaghanoug (baked mashed eggplant Flavored with Taheena - sesame seed paste), Falafal or Taameyya (small round Patties made of ground ful beans, seasoned and deep fried), Waraq Anab (vine leaves Stuffed with rice and meat), Bickley or Turshi (spicy mixed pickled vegetables), Leban Zabadi (thick creamy yoghurt and very good for the digestion) and Mish, a mature Cheese made into a paste and flavored with spices.

Desserts range from regional specialties such as honey-soaked pastries like Kunafa,which looks like shredded wheat, made with rose water, nuts and sugar, and Basbousa Made from fine semolina and flavored with almonds, lemon and vanilla to the famous and uniquely Egyptian "Om Ali", a baked dish of layered pastry cooked with milk, nuts, Raisins and spices. Most visitors to Egypt will have at least one chance to try traditional Local cuisine as part of their Nile cruise, when one night is usually themed as an Egyptian night including a buffet of local delicacies. Egypt has a wealth of fresh fruits Such as mangoes, pomegranates, dates, figs, apricots, melons and citrus.

BEVARAGE

Tap water should never be drunk in Egypt. We recommend that you use bottled water, ensuring that the seal has not been broken on the bottle. Use it for cleaning teeth and remember not to have ice in your drinks.

Non-Alcoholic

Traditional drinks abound, ranging from chilled carob juice or hot licorice infusion, to thick milky concoctions filled with nuts and spices ("sahleb"). Some of the tastiest for

visitors to try would include "karkady" - a rich, sweet infusion of the dark red hibiscus flower, usually drunk cold but also sometimes served hot - and "limoon" - fresh lemonade made from the small local yellow limes, served frothy, tangy and sweet.

Alcoholic

Alcohol is available in all hotels in Egypt, and most restaurants are licensed. Bars and other drinking establishments are commonplace, and are popular with many locals as

well as foreigners. In addition to the usual range of international brands, visitors can try Egyptian-made wine and beer, both of which are pleasantly drinkable.

Wine

The "Oblisque" range is made in Egypt but with imported Italian grapes. The range comes in a tannin-rich red (Rouge des Pharaons), a light ros (Rosetta)

and a fresh, dry white (Blanc d'Alexandrie). The "Gianaclis" range is made with grapes from Egyptian vineyards, and has a fruity red Cabernet Sauvignon (Omar Khayyam), a delicate ros (Rubisd'Egypte), and a fresh white Pinot Blanc (Cru des Ptolem).The "Chateau Grand Marquis" is Egypt's premium range of wines, made out of the best Egyptian grapes and produced in association with French experts.The range contains a crisp, light white, an aromatic ros and a rich red.

Beer

Even more so than wine, the Egyptian brewing industry has recently transformed itself into an overnight success story, with many new local brands as well as big foreign names brewed under license in Egypt. Beer is mainly lager-style - try asking for some of these: Stella Local (regular lager), Stella Export (stronger lager), Stella Premium Meister (regular lager), Meister Max (stronger lager) ,Sakara Gold (regular lager), Sakara Premium (stronger lager)Löwenbräu - the famous German beer, locally brewed under license , Heineken (dark Belgian-style lager)