What do people in Egypt eat for lunch?

In Egypt, people commonly eat a variety of dishes for lunch. Some popular and traditional options include:

1. Ful Medames:

- Ful Medames is a staple Egyptian food and a popular breakfast dish. However, it's also enjoyed for lunch. It consists of fava beans cooked and flavored with spices, herbs, garlic, and oil. It is often served with bread, tahini sauce, pickled vegetables, and Egyptian cheese (Gebna).

2. Koshari:

- Koshari is a well-known Egyptian street food and a common choice for lunch. It's a multi-ingredient dish that combines rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, crispy fried onions, and a tangy tomato sauce. It is usually topped with a garlic vinegar dressing and served with pickles and hot sauce.

3. Molokhia:

- Molokhia is a traditional Egyptian dish made from jute leaves. The leaves are cooked in a meat broth, typically with chicken, beef, or rabbit, and seasoned with garlic, coriander, and spices. It is typically eaten with rice, bread, or pita.

4. Tagine:

- Tagine is a North African dish popular in Egypt. It's a slow-cooked stew made with meat, vegetables, and spices in a clay pot called a tagine. The meat is usually chicken, lamb, or beef. Common tagine dishes in Egypt include lamb tagine with prunes and apricots or chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons.

5. Falafel Sandwich:

- Falafel sandwiches are a popular street food and lunch option in Egypt. Falafel refers to deep-fried balls made from chickpeas or fava beans mixed with herbs and spices. They are typically tucked into a pita bread pocket with tahini sauce, pickled vegetables, and sometimes French fries.

6. Shawarma:

- Shawarma is another ubiquitous Egyptian street food. It's roasted meat sliced from a rotating spit. The meat is usually chicken, beef, or lamb, and it's thinly sliced and served wrapped in pita bread with vegetables, tahini sauce, and perhaps hummus.

7. Grilled Meats (Kebabs):

- Various types of grilled meats are popular for lunch, often called "kebabs" or "sticks." These may include shish kebab (skewered meat), kofta kebab (minced meat skewers), and tawook kebab (chicken skewers). They are seasoned and grilled over charcoal, served with pita bread, salads, hummus, and sauces.

8. Mahshi:

- Mahshi, meaning "stuffed" in Arabic, refers to a variety of stuffed vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. They are commonly filled with a mixture of rice, ground beef or lamb, herbs, and spices. They are stewed in a tomato-based sauce and often served with bread or rice.

These are just a few of the many dishes you might find people eating for lunch in Egypt. The cuisine is diverse and influenced by various cultures, which has contributed to the richness of Egyptian culinary traditions.