What to Drink in Egypt?

You can find all kinds of hot and cold drinks in Egypt! Whether you are in a café or visiting a friend, this is a list of the most famous drinks offered in Egypt.

After writing an entire article about vegetarian food in Egypt, I felt that something was missing… Well, what goes with food? Drinks, of course! So here is another article that will complete the first one, in which you will find a list of the drinks you can find in Egypt.

• Tea

Egypt is a “tea country”, and Egyptian people drink tea all the time! The Egyptian tea is a black tea served in tea bags in the glass or put directly in the glass without a bag. It is usually served with a lot of sugar, but you can ask it without “bdon sokkar,” or with “sokkar barra,” which means the sugar on the side. You can ask for it with mint (bel na’na’ , or with milk (bel laben). In more expensive cafés (“cafeterias”) you will find different flavored teas similar to what can be found in western countries—and of course green tea.

by micmol on flickr

• Coffees

The most popular coffee in Egypt is the Turkish coffee, which is a coffee made in a small pot used specifically for this purpose. You can have it without sugar (saada) , with a little bit of sugar (al reeha , with medium sugar (mzboot) or with a lot of sugar (zeeyada).You can’t add the sugar once it is served because this would remove the coffee powder, which is at the bottom of the cup and which you have to be care not to swallow!

Egyptian coffee by dennisandluba on flickr

You can have Nescafe almost anywhere, but if you want an American coffee or an espresso, you will have to go to more expensive and specialized “cafeterias.”

• Fresh Juices

In Egypt there are plenty of fresh juice shops where they squeeze fruits in front of you (sometimes they keep the juices in the fridge). You will find many kinds of juices, including: orange, carrot, mango, banana, watermelon, cantaloupe, guava, lemon, cocktail, sugar cane and strawberry.

• Herbal Beverages

One of the most famous herbal beverages in Egypt is the karkadeh (hibiscus), which you can have hot (sokhn) or cold (sa’aa). Other popular drinks include hot ginger (ganzebeel), tamarind (tamar hindy), helba (I couldn’t find a translation), cinnamon (eirfa) and chocolate (chocolata).

Karkadeh by gagandeepsapra on flickr

• Milk-Based Beverages

Milk-based drinks include yogurt with honey (zabadee bel ‘assel) and sahlaab (made with cornstarch, milk, peanuts, pistachios and dry coconut). This second drink is delicious, especially in winter, so don’t miss it!

Sahlab by magidokon2000 on flickr

That’s it, so enjoy! You will drink a lot, as Egypt is a hot country!