Desserts form an important part of any meal in Egypt. It’s often said, “When you are stressed you eat chocolates, ice creams, and sweets, and you know why because stressed spelled backward spells desserts.”
Every country has its distinct sets of desserts which are cooked in their traditional style and Egypt absolutely loves its desserts. Although people all over the world now cook and serve desserts which are specialties of other countries, the taste and methods used in Egypt are very unique.
Egyptian desserts share some similarities with the Levant, but they are still different in taste. Egyptian desserts are made using natural ingredients and a lot of sugar. The desserts cooked in Egypt are unique and always taste best when you eat them here. Egyptian desserts are loaded with calories but the taste is worth it, savoring every bite, even though it’s calorie-laden. Drench yourself into a taste like never before, with these Egyptian desserts.
- Basbousa, often referred to as Harissa is a dish made from semolina soaked in sugar syrup. It is slightly spicy in taste and is served in a diamond shape garnished with almonds.
- Baklava, made from pastry layers and nuts soaked in sugar syrup.
- Fatir is a type of sweet pancake similar to Kahk. It looks like shortbread and is garnished with almonds.
- Kahk is another specialty among Egyptians desserts. It is a traditional Eid dessert made of shortbread and stuffed with walnuts and dates and covered with icing sugar.
- Konafa is another dessert served in Egypt made from pastry strands and is loaded with syrup and nuts.
Desserts form a crucial part of Egyptian cuisine. A large number of desserts in Egypt are made as puddings and pastries and almost every dessert is soaked in sugar or honey syrup, for that amazing super-sweet taste.
Baklava is another very popular Egyptian dessert which is popular in many other Arab countries as well. The basic ingredient that goes into its making include nuts, filo, dough and honey, this is one Egyptian dessert that has lesser sugar content. Fatir is another popular dessert served in Egypt. It resembles the pancakes made in America and apricots are most commonly used as the fruit filling. Also, egg-filled Fairs are popularly eaten and loved by people.
Basbousa is an Egyptian dessert. It is a semolina pastry served in different shapes, most commonly a diamond shape.. This dessert is a favorite among people of Egypt. Ice cream is another fondly eaten dessert of Egypt, but the local version available here is much different in taste compared to those sold commercially in the West. In Egypt, it’s named Bbouzat Haleeb and possesses a gummy flavor and is lighter than most Western ice creams. The ice cream of Egypt stretches like noughat when spooned.
Umm Ali is a national sweet dish in Egypt which is a raisin cake and is very simple to make. It tastes best when hot and is served totally soaked in milk.
Kanafa is a distinct dish among Egyptian desserts and is made out of batter strings fried on grills that are hot. A large number of stuffing variations are used like sweets, nuts and even meat, it’s available in both sweet and salty versions. Rice pudding in Egypt is another popular dish which is eaten by not just locals but tourists as well. Referred as Mahallabiyya here, it’s served garnished with chop
ped pistachios. Gatoux too enjoys a top place on the list and is a French style pastry sweet.
Two of the most common ingredients that go into the making of Egyptian desserts are Shalab and Misika. Misika is an Arabic gum which has now become a common ingredient among desserts all across the globe. Shalab, on the other hand, is an ingredient that is extracted from tubers of a large number of orchids. Also, Egyptians commonly consume a large number of fresh fruits when trying to satiate their sweet tooth. Desserts form an important part of meals served on a daily basis.
Desserts in Egypt were used in festivals not just celebrated now but since ancient times. The festival dessert menu basically consisted of raising bread, sweet bread, fried pastries, honey cakes, and sweetmeats. Ancient Egyptians did not use sugar. Instead, desserts were sweetened using dates and honey. Most ancient desserts in Egypt had a gravelly texture and cheese was frequently served with most Egyptian desserts during festivals.
Apple cakes that are seasoned with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are often served in Egypt. The crushed nut is also added like almonds and nuts for that extra flavor. Sponge cakes too are popular here made from flour, eggs, and sugar and raised with the help of baking powder. Also, pastries made from several layers and stuffed with jam or whipped creams are served in bite-sized versions here. These cakes are usually glazed with icing in alternating stripes of colors to give that appealing appearance.
So, you can see that what role desserts in Egypt play in not just the festive menus, but even in meals served on a daily basis. Tourists coming to Egypt should definitely indulge in such sinful desserts.The variety of desserts served in Egypt is overwhelming and there is literally something for everyone and enough to satiate any sweet tooth completely!
