The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

The chilly storm outside calls for cuddling up in bed with excessive layers of clothing and hot food! Here are a few local signature foods and drinks that are both heartwarming and delicious…

‘Ats

The staple soup in every Egyptian household is lentil soup. Truly a classic in wintertime, which is why we chose these five restaurants that nail it as good as momma does: Abou El Sid, Nisantasi, Zooba, Tamara Elna and Felfela.

Sahlab

A sweet, rich, warm drink that warms the heart as well as our palms. Sahlab is an oriental hot drink made with milk and ground orchid roots. Don’t forget to sprinkle some nuts, a pinch of cinnamon, and you’re good to go! You can find sahlab in almost any café, but if you want a twist, TBS just announced that they’re serving Pistachio Sahlab. YUM!

Batata

Sweet potatoes AKA batata are commonly sold on the streets from carts that carry tiny ovens and present you with hot, gooey goodness. You can make your own at home, and drizzle some caramel sauce if you’re cooking it whole, or cut it up into fries and shower it with cinnamon sugar. If you’re too cold to cook or can’t find a cart nearby, Karma and Paul will treat your cravings.

Feteer

Although feteer translates to “pies”, they represent so much more than that! The squared feteer is usually cut up into tiny squares and can hold as many ingredients as your heart desires. Think of them as wrapped pizza! Whether you’re craving sweet or savoury, you can find steamy feteer at Majesty or go old school with Feteera.

Hommos El Sham

Last but certainly not least is the OG of winter food. Hommos El Sham is an Egyptian trademark of warm drinks; it’s spicy and healthy, but if you can’t handle the heat, just skip the chilli. To get authentic hommos el sham, you’re going to have to head to the Nile Corniche to find one of the street carts there and indulge in a view of the river!