A Vegetarian and Vegan’s guide to food and restaurants in Egypt and Cairo

It’s common to see a large selection of salads come out before an entree—all of these pictured are vegetarian, and most are vegan!

Note: a lot of these dishes are also vegan! I will note which dishes are also vegan. If you are interested in seeing me create a separate vegan guide, let me know in the comments!

I often get asked by vegetarians where they should go for good food in Cairo and other cities in Egypt, and luckily, most restaurants will have several vegetarian food options, so it’s not too hard to recommend places! You can use this list as a guide when eating out almost anywhere in Egypt, as there should be at least one or two of these food items on any restaurant’s menu.

How to say you are vegetarian

Vegetarianism in Egypt is not a widely recognized or understood concept; many Egyptians have never heard of someone being vegetarian, and some restaurant staff will scratch their heads if you tell them you are vegetarian, unless you are at a restaurant that sees lots of tourists or is in a hotel.

There is no way to literally say, “I am vegetarian” in Arabic, that most Egyptians will understand.

It is best to be more specific in your language, and to say that you do not eat chicken, beef, or fish. Egyptians usually think of the word “meat” as meaning only beef, so clarifying that you do not eat any types of meat will help them understand.

In Egyptian Arabic, you can say:

“Enna muh-buh-kelt-sh aye lahma, issmack, OW fuh-rekh, OW aye hi-yuh-wan-at”.

In Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, this is:

.انا ماباكلتش اي لحمة اسماك او فراخ او اي حياوانات

This literally translates to: “I do not eat any beef, fish, or chicken, or any animals.”

It should get the message across!

Vegetarian Appetizers/Small Plates

Shorbet Aads (lentil soup) is a great vegetarian starter, but it’s usually made with butter, so vegans will want to avoid it.

Here are some great appetizers or small plates you can order that will be vegetarian:

-Tahina salad with bread (Salatit Tahina in Arabic) VEGAN. -Fried potatoes (like french fries [buh-tah-tiss in Arabic]) VEGAN -Baba Gannoush salad (Salatit Baba Ghanoog in Arabic) VEGAN
-Baladi salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, sometimes parsley/cilantro/dill) (Salata Baladi in Arabic) VEGAN
-Mossaka (eggplant and tomato mixture) (Pronounced “MUSS-EH-AAH” in Arabic) VEGAN
-Rice with vermicelli noodles (ROHZ in Egyptian Arabic)
-Shorbet Aadz (lentil soup)
-Shorbet Aasfour lisnan (orzo soup) -Fried eggplant (BIT-en-gan in Arabic) VEGAN

Vegetarian Entrees

In this photo, you see these vegan options: bread, stuffed green peppers, stuffed eggplant, stuffed zucchini, and Baladi salad. The rice pictured is vegetarian, and the stewed vegetables in the upper right corner could have been made without meat, to make them vegan.

-Tagen Khoodar (stewed vegetables) -- make sure there is no meat! These dishes are prepared with or without meat, so be sure to specify. Sometimes vegan
-Koshary (see this blog post) VEGAN -Mahshii (veggies stuffed with rice) VEGAN -Macarona forn (baked macaroni and red sauce with cheese — make sure there is no ground beef!)
-Macarona bechemel (noodles baked with cheese and a béchamel white sauce — make sure there is no ground beef!) -Taamaya (Egyptian falafel) VEGAN -Fuul (stewed fava beans) VEGAN

Vegetarians (and vegans), rejoice! You can experience one of the most amazing countries in the world, AND have plenty of options for great food while you travel. Which of these dishes are you excited to try? Let us know in the comments!