by Maggie Taher
Editor’s Review
Foul, falafel, and fries. The most typical Egyptian food!
It works for breakfast, it works for lunch, and it works just as well for dinner! Supper, certainly, iftar, oh most definitely!
Many reviews on foul [fuːl], or fava beans, are out there. But what is most spectacular about them is the many different ways that they can be cooked. Most restaurants will serve "foul" in many ways: with tahini, with chili oil, olive oil, butter, or with salad. They will have names for it, Alexandrian, or chili foul. And each way of cooking the fava beans themselves is different.
When it comes to the falafel, it is important to mention that they originated in Egypt and most likely in Alexandria. A hundred restaurants have claimed to be the originators of falafel in Egypt, but it is most likely that falafel is perhaps a little older than that. Typically, falafel is made with fava beans, but in other cultures, the most common types of falafel are made with chickpeas.
When the combination of foul and falafel is served, they are often accompanied by a green salad and/or fries. And it is an acceptable meal for any time of the day. Flatbread is used to dip the foul or to crush a piece of falafel and eat!
Maggie—who sometimes cooks—showcases her take on the most traditional Egyptian meal!