Koshary

History

In the Egyptian Books of Genesis, the Ancient Egyptian term "Koshir" meant "Food of the rites of the Gods", the Koshir was a breakfast dish that consisted of lentils, wheat, chickpeas, garlic and onions cooked together in clay pots. The word is not related to the Jewish dietary laws known as Kosher. A priest from Heliopolis described it as a food to eat after fasting on the 11th day of Pachons, a month in the ancient Egyptian calendar. Koshary is known as "The food of the Poor"; it consists of fried onions, lentils, rice, macaroni and a red sauce. It is somewhat related to Mediterranean cuisine, but the Egyptian dish has different ingredients and flavors, especially the local Egyptian lemon sauce, which gives it the unique taste for which the dish is popular.

In 1853, in his book "Journey to Egypt and the Hijaz", explorer Richard Burton documented koshary as the breakfast meal of the people of Suez. It consisted of Egyptian lentils, rice, butter, onions and pickled lemons.

Koshary was sold on food carts in its early years, and was introduced to restaurants later.

This dish is widely popular among workers and laborers and the dish is well-suited to mass catering events such as conferences. It may be prepared at home, and is also served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over Egypt; some restaurants specialize in koshary to the exclusion of other dishes, while others feature it as one item among many. As traditionally prepared koshary does not contain any animal products, it can be considered vegan, as long as all frying uses vegetable oil.

In 2025, koshary was recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Variants

Alexandrian koshary is quite different from other koshary recipes, with significant variations in taste and form. The cooking process includes yellow lentils and rice; it also uses curry and cumin in the rice, giving the koshary a uniform color. Also included are Egyptian fried eggs, which are boiled and then fried in butter, as well as lightly pickled tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and French fries on the side.

Koshary has also gained popularity outside of Egypt in recent years, especially in Eastern Arabia and Yemen. There are variations in each country or region, such as adding grilled vegetables and using basmati rice cooked either white or yellow. Other recipes of these regions include using other shapes of macaroni. The recipes could include chicken as well, making them closer to kabsa in some cases.

In Japan, restaurants that serve Koshary have begun to appear, some offering the dish with additions to the original recipe. Nontraditional ingredients, which are not typically found in Egyptian recipes, are basil chicken, raw tomatoes, sour cream, fried eggs, Cheddar sauce, avocado slices, and spicy powder with jalapeño.

Dry instant

An instant koshary, akin to instant noodles in packaging and preparation, started appearing in Egypt in 2020. It requires hot water and 5 to 10 minutes to be ready to eat.

References

References

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5. "LacusCurtius • Manetho: History of Egypt (and other Fragments)".
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7. Burton, Richard. (1853). "رحلة بيرتون إلى الحجاز ومصر".
8. (6 March 2016). "Cheap, healthy and oh so tasty: the best kushari in Cairo". [[The Guardian]].
9. Gopal, Sena Desai. "On the streets of Cairo, I fed my love for koshari - The Boston Globe".
10. (17 February 2009). "Kushari recipe". Whats4eats.com.
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12. "كشري اسكندراني بالصور من Alaa Abbas".
13. (2013). "Koshari Ads Asfar".
14. "كشري خليجي بالخضار والدجاج بالصور".
15. Samir, Salwa. (2024-06-03). "How a Japanese Chef Introduced Egypt’s Beloved Koshari to Tokyo {{!}} Egyptian Streets".
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