I’ve just spooned away a nice portion of kushari, originally Egypt’s poor man’s dish, but now enjoyed by everyone. Real comfort food, with vermicelli, macaroni rice, lentils, chickpeas, crispy fried onions and a rich tomato sauce. I like to add some chili, to give it a nice bite. Tastes so good, especially while watching the boats pass on the river Nile. Kushari joints are everywhere in Egypt, it is the country’s street food.
As far as I know, there is only one spot in Brussels where you can get kushari. It’s at Mr Falafel, Bd. Lemonnier, a tiny restaurant which only sells 2 dishes. Fresh veggies are available, prices are low, service is friendly and – surprise! – in Dutch! It is so funny when people talk to the owner in French, and hear him answer “Wablief?”
According to an article in The Guardian, kushari was served to the protesters at the Tahrir Square in Cairo during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Guess who was in the country a few months later? Yep. And it was absolutely my best Egypt trip ever. No busloads of tourists (literally), just a handful of individual travellers. During the day we all did our thing individually, but in the evening we would meet up at a restaurant to mingle with locals, mostly people in the tourist industry, to have a meal together, and to talk Egyptian politics. Not my favourite subject, but I must say that I enjoyed sharing a freshly cooked meal with others, it is one of the joys of travelling alone. The chef would make one single dish, a nice tagine or something typical Egyptian, beer and wine were plentiful. A unique experience.
I can assure you that it is the most wonderful thing to visit the Great Hypostyle Hall almost alone, or just be 2 people in a tomb. Pictures will follow.
Why this all of a sudden craving for kushari and Egypt in general? It is all Joann Fletcher’s fault. This driven and erudite Egyptologist has made a series for the BBC, Immortal Egypt. Her enthusiasm and passion for Egyptian history, her appreciation of things of beauty and her delightful red hair make this series a true feast for the eyes and ears.
All the episodes can be found on Youtube, I listed them here. Enjoy!
Belgian City Slicker 