Joy in Egypt after beloved spicy staple koshary makes UNESCO list

CAIRO - UNESCO recognised on Dec 10 Egypt’s favourite daily dish as intangible cultural heritage, to the delight of Egyptians digging into the spicy staple at every corner.

“We grew up eating koshary in plastic bags. It’s a heritage we grew up with,” Emad Yassin told AFP during the lunch rush of a popular downtown Cairo joint, Koshary Abou Tarek.

The budget-friendly, carb-loaded bowl of noodles, rice, lentils and fried onions doused in a blazing hot sauce is a culinary staple in the Arab world’s most populous country.

Irina, a Spanish tourist who had stopped in for a bite, said the UNESCO nod was a good call.

“It’s a really good decision because when you’re eating koshary, you can feel and taste the country here, all the mixes of flavours,” she said.

Behind her and in corner shops across the country, mountains of noodles, rice and lentils are piled high in adjoining pots.

With choreographed precision, vendors ladle scoop, after scoop, after scoop at lightning speed.

They pour tomato sauce all over, sprinkle fried onions, then leave it to each customer to season to taste: blazing hot sauce, tangy garlic-vinegar drizzle.

The humble meal has been passed down in many forms – varying by region – for centuries. It was first recorded, by British writer Richard Burton in 1866, as a winter breakfast in the eastern city of Suez.

At that point only lentils and rice, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that noodles were added to even further “cut costs after the price of rice skyrocketed”, food archaeologist and archaeobotanist Mennat-Allah El Dorry told AFP.

Urban staple

The dish’s precise origin is not known, but “versions of koshary can be found all along the trade route from India to Egypt”, Ms El Dorry said.

In Egypt, it has become an urban staple over the past century and a half, as metropolises grew and city workers needed quick, cheap and filling meals.

For many Egyptians, the comfort food is at its best made and served at home, but dedicated establishments are a dime a dozen, from humble little carts to multi-storey restaurants like Koshary Abou Tarek.

Ms Laila Hassaballa, co-founder of Cairo food tour Bellies En-route, told AFP the dish is a highlight for visitors, though at first they can be “a bit surprised at the combination of ingredients”.

That much is true for Greek tourist Lefteris, who said he was excited by “so many textures and tastes simultaneously. I know each individual taste but I haven’t tried the combination before”.

From Ms Hassaballa’s experience, “no trip to Egypt feels complete without trying it at least once”.

The Dec 10 decision, according to Ms El Dorry, is the latest in a growing recognition of Egyptian food heritage, which has historically taken a back seat to other regional cuisines, such as Lebanese.

“It’s a very important message that there is a very, very, very rich Egyptian kitchen that shouldn’t be underestimated,” she said. AFP