Food

Egyptian food reflects the country's melting-pot history; native cooks using local ingredients have modified Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian traditions to suit Egyptian budgets, customs, and tastes. The dishes are simple; made with naturally ripened fruits and vegetables and seasoned with fresh spices, they're good and hearty. Food in the south, closely linked to North African cuisine, is zestier than that found in the north, but neither is especially hot.

About 5,000 years ago, Egyptians bakers discovered the secret of leavening. Not too many years later, other cooks, probably in the area of Alexandria, invented the first ovens that were small enough to fit into the average home. The Egyptians also had the wisdom to realize that by combining olive oil, lemon juice and egg yolks you could produce the wonderful condiment known today as "mayonnaise". And, much to the dismay of people who love Marco Polo and all of the myths surrounding his trip to the Orient, it was the Egyptians who invented pasta.

DID YOU KNOW?
The largest of the pyramids was the
Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. His pyramid
stands at 481feet tall (as tall as a forty
story building) and each side is
almost 200 meters long!