8 Most popular sweets/deserts in Egypt

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. 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 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.  

2. 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 “Otoman 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 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.

 

 To be continued