8 most popular sweets in Egypt to taste while holidaying in the country
Egypt
is famous for its sweets and deserts since ancient times, so traditions
of preparing sweets go as far as Pharaohs times. Let's check 8 most
popular sweets of Egypt that you can try while holidaying in Egypt.
1. Om Ali – One of the most famous
& delicious
Egyptian
deserts dates back to the rule of Shagarat el-Dour. She invented the sweet to celebrate her
taking over her husband (sultan of Egypt).
Om Ali in Arabic means "Ali's mother", she
was the first wife of the sultan of Egypt Ezz al-Din Aybak who became sultan
after getting married to Sultana Shajar Al-Durr. After the sultan was killed Shagarat el –Dur
offer people a desert made of Egyptian Bread (Roqaq) soaked in milk with sugar
with nuts. Since that time the dessert
was named after her "Om Ali". Now the desert is usually prepared from
Egyptian flat thin bread soaked in whole milk with sugar and nuts and then baked.
The easiest and most delicious way to cook Om Ali is to use a ready made mille-feuille
(can purchase in any supermarket in Egypt) and top with sour or sweet cream.
Where to buy:
In Sharm el Sheikh you can taste it in most restaurants, check el Masrein restaurant in the Old market, they always have it warm and delicious.
Om Ali desert
2. Atayf - Arabic pancakes are usually filled with cream or nuts and served with a sugary syrup or honey. It is originally famous in Egypt and can be found everywhere in the streets usually during Ramadan time only. Especially interesting to watch local guys preparing atayf for sailing in the streets before breakfast time, so you do not need to bother yourself with it, just buy half-ready pancakes and fill it in at home with anything you like. It is really easy to cook and so delicious to taste . Unfortunately it is difficult to find atayf in Egypt in other time rather than Ramadan, but you can always cook it yourself as it is so easy, just make small pancakes half fried (from one side only), then make a con from it and fry from all sides until ready. When it is a little bit cold, put it in syrup for some minutes and fill it with anything you like, here it is, your Egyptian atayf!
Where to buy:
In Sharm el Sheikh you can taste it in most restaurants, check el Masrein restaurant in the Old market, they always have it warm and delicious.
Om Ali desert
2. Atayf - Arabic pancakes are usually filled with cream or nuts and served with a sugary syrup or honey. It is originally famous in Egypt and can be found everywhere in the streets usually during Ramadan time only. Especially interesting to watch local guys preparing atayf for sailing in the streets before breakfast time, so you do not need to bother yourself with it, just buy half-ready pancakes and fill it in at home with anything you like. It is really easy to cook and so delicious to taste . Unfortunately it is difficult to find atayf in Egypt in other time rather than Ramadan, but you can always cook it yourself as it is so easy, just make small pancakes half fried (from one side only), then make a con from it and fry from all sides until ready. When it is a little bit cold, put it in syrup for some minutes and fill it with anything you like, here it is, your Egyptian atayf!
A man cooking Atayf in the street
Where to buy:
In Cairo you will find half-ready atayf in the streets near most small ovens. People will cook it in front of you before the breakfast time during Ramadan only, so you will have to come early to get your turn and buy it. Usually it will not be ready atayf, just small pan-cakes which you have to fill in yourself. Most famous shops like Twinky will sell really atayf with different fillings.
In Sharm el Sheikh you will probably not find it at all even during Ramadan time. I never saw it here....
In Cairo you will find half-ready atayf in the streets near most small ovens. People will cook it in front of you before the breakfast time during Ramadan only, so you will have to come early to get your turn and buy it. Usually it will not be ready atayf, just small pan-cakes which you have to fill in yourself. Most famous shops like Twinky will sell really atayf with different fillings.
In most shops atayf looks like this
In Sharm el Sheikh you will probably not find it at all even during Ramadan time. I never saw it here....
3. Kakh – Another traditional Ramadan sweet or cookies which will so rare can be found in shops of sweets after Ramadan time. You will not believe but it dates back to pharaonic times! When wives of pharaohs were used to cook this kind of sweet for priests who guarded tombs of their husbands (pharaohs). Kakh cakes were found in different tombs, they were of different shapes, with different filings and ornaments.
Nowadays people start to cook kakh one week before the end of Ramadan and bring cakes to their relatives by the end of the holly month. Kakh is made of flour and lots of butter.
Where to buy:
In Sharm el Sheikh
you will probably not find it at all , but during Ramadan time on the Old market some ovens will definitely cook it, but it will not be that tasty like in Cairo.
4. Baspusa or its variety Harisa (famous in Alexandria mainly) is Egyptian semolina
cake cooked with butter and yoghurt. If you
want to cook it yourself a ready mixture is always available in most
supermarkets, you just need to add butter and yoghurt, stir it well and bake in
the often, then after it is a little bit cold put over sugar syrup.
Where to buy:
In Cairo there is a well known, one of the best mark called ”Kweider”. You can find the shops in Mohandeseen, Nasr city and Downtown. Over three generations of perfection... It all started a long time ago in Damascus, when the great grandfather Mohamed Selim Koueider created a unique kind of oriental sweets. A remarkable milestone took place in the history of the koueider's family when the great grandfather decided to move to Egypt, where he founded his first shop in Cairo in 1928. Since then the name Koueider became a synonym to the best sweets made by the best ingredients. Mohamed Selim Koueider's son Abdel Rahim Koueider carried on with his father's Profession, he continued the development of the art of fine pastries, and introduced new products. Today , the grandson Nasser Koueider is continuing the developing process, improving the quality , and always using the original unique recipe.
In Cairo there is a well known, one of the best mark called ”Kweider”. You can find the shops in Mohandeseen, Nasr city and Downtown. Over three generations of perfection... It all started a long time ago in Damascus, when the great grandfather Mohamed Selim Koueider created a unique kind of oriental sweets. A remarkable milestone took place in the history of the koueider's family when the great grandfather decided to move to Egypt, where he founded his first shop in Cairo in 1928. Since then the name Koueider became a synonym to the best sweets made by the best ingredients. Mohamed Selim Koueider's son Abdel Rahim Koueider carried on with his father's Profession, he continued the development of the art of fine pastries, and introduced new products. Today , the grandson Nasser Koueider is continuing the developing process, improving the quality , and always using the original unique recipe.
In Sharm el Sheikh I do believe you can taste it in your hotel during dinner time if you check Oriental sweets corner in the restaurant, if no then in the Old market area there are some shops offering Oriental sweets.
5. Kunafa -
A sweet made from spun shredded wheat and can be filled with different
fillings. In Egypt as a rule it is filled with cream or different nuts and then
covered with sugar and lemon syrup. As it is a traditional sweet it can always
be found in oriental sweets-shops all over Egypt. There are several ways to prepare kunafa
differed from the one you will find in a sweets-shop. This kind of sweet is mainly cooked by
people during Ramadan time. Locals do not use nuts or cream and prepare kunafa in so
called “Ottoman way” when you break kunafa into small pieces and then fry it with
butter until brown and then put sugar
syrup over and mix all together. It can
be served with sour or sweet cream. Very delicious.
During Ramadan you can watch locals cooking this sweet.
Where to buy:
In Cairo in most sweets shops almost all the year round, ex. Twinky sells really tasty kunafa with nuts or cream. The shops is located in Pyramids street, in the beginning, closer to Giza. So, on your way to the Pyramids, you can always ask your guide to stop at the shop to taste Oriental sweets.
Should you wish to cook it yourself, many supermarkets sell half-ready frozen kunafa all the year round, but it will be not that delicious as the one, cooked in front of you by a local.
In Cairo in most sweets shops almost all the year round, ex. Twinky sells really tasty kunafa with nuts or cream. The shops is located in Pyramids street, in the beginning, closer to Giza. So, on your way to the Pyramids, you can always ask your guide to stop at the shop to taste Oriental sweets.
Should you wish to cook it yourself, many supermarkets sell half-ready frozen kunafa all the year round, but it will be not that delicious as the one, cooked in front of you by a local.
In Sharm el Sheikh
you definitely saw this sweet in your hotel restaurant but were afraid
to taste! Now you know what it is all about and do not hesitate to try!
If you do not find it in your hotel restaurant during dinner time, then
sweets shops in the Old market will give you a chance to taste it.
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