Holiday FAQs
Q: My wife and I will visit Cairo in March and intend to stay for three months. We are both vegetarian and want to make sure that we can find vegetarian fare in Egypt. Is vegetarian food available in supermarkets? And do restaurants serve vegetarian dishes?
A: Vegetarians should have no trouble finding something to eat in Egypt.
L'Aubergine, in Zamalek, is the only restaurant in Cairo with an extensive vegetarian menu, offering a variety of delicious meat- free dishes.
Most restaurants in Cairo have vegetarian options on their menus where you can choose from several types of salads, dips, pulse- based dishes and rice-stuffed vegetables.
Pizza outlets, scattered all over Cairo, such as Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Maison Thomas and Pizza Plus, could also be a nice option for vegetarians. Vegetarian pizzas could be topped with many local products, including fresh mushrooms, black olives, green peppers and onions.
You can also try restaurants that serve traditional Egyptian food, such as fuul (beans) and ta'amiyya (fried mashed beans and spices) or kushari (a mix of noodles, rice, black lentils, fried onions and tomato sauce). There are small local take-away shops serving fuul and ta'amiyya on almost every street in Cairo. Large restaurants, such as Omda in Mohandessin and Felfela in Downtown and Maadi, serve fuul and ta'amiyya. Abu Tarek in Downtown serves an excellent kushari.
You can find vegetarian food stuffs in most of the big supermarkets in Egypt, such as Alfa in Maadi, Metro in Heliopolis, Mohandessin, and Nasr City, and Carrefour on Qattamiyya Road. Besides the fresh vegetables and fruits, supermarkets are now selling vegetarian burgers, kofta, steak, luncheon meats, frankfurters and fried chicken all processed from soya beans.
Fortunately, your stay in Cairo will coincide with the Coptic fast (Lent), during which time Copts are not allowed to eat any animal product, including eggs and cheese. During this time, most restaurants provide meals that suit the Coptic diet and many supermarkets are packed with vegetarian items.
If you need further information on living as a vegetarian in Egypt, visit www.vegetarianegypt.com
