Koshari
كشري Koshary · Cairo, Egypt
Rice, macaroni, lentils and chickpeas topped with tomato sauce and fried onions — Egypt's national dish.
Know before you go
- During Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public by day
- don't pass or take food with your left hand
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Koshary is Egypt's national dish and its most popular street food: macaroni, rice, vermicelli and brown lentils mixed together, topped with chickpeas, garlicky tomato sauce and garlic vinegar, and sprinkled with crispy fried onions. It is called 'poor man's food'. In 1853 the British explorer Richard Burton wrote that koshary was eaten for breakfast by the people of Suez.
Local customs
The shop layers the ingredients in a bowl, and you add sauce and chilli to taste
Religion & beliefs
Koshary contains no meat, so Coptic Christians can eat it during their fasts.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Egypt: drink only at licensed venues
- Drink in licensed restaurants, bars or within resorts
- Drinking in the street or other public places
Drinking outside licensed premises is illegal and can lead to arrest.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Egypt: no drones without a permit
- Leave your drone at home
- Bringing in or using a drone without Ministry of Defence permission
Up to 7 years in prison, or a fine of EGP 5,000 to 50,000.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Egypt: ask before photographing people, and don't photograph children
- Ask local people before photographing them
- If in doubt, ask before taking a photo
- Photographing children
- Photographing military installations (including the Suez Canal)
- Taking or sharing photos that could harm the country's image
Tourism ministry rules require written permission to photograph Egyptian citizens, and photographing children is banned; photographing military installations is illegal.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Egypt travel advice
Don’t DON'T
- During Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public by day
- don't pass or take food with your left hand
Locals appreciate DO
Cairenes appreciate visitors who eat with everyone at old local shops.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Downtown Cairo's old koshary shops are the most famous, with small, medium and large portions. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
Sources & verification notes
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