Some people may know Egypt just for the pyramids, but I know Egypt, and especially Egyptian cuisine, as home.
I spent the majority of my childhood in Alexandria, Egypt and grew up within its culture. I learned how to embrace my personality and how to see diversity clearly through going back and forth from the United States to Egypt.
Unsplash on unsplash
Background Info
Besides the lovely beaches and the historical value, Egypt also fascinated me with its amazing food.
In the U.S., it is a normal practice that every person at a restaurant buys their own food. However, in most places in Egypt, the food comes in massive portions so that it feeds six to nine people.
Before I left Egypt in 2012, I had one last meal before my flight that I was never able to forget. Believe me, I had a lot of insane meals there, but to this day this one is my favorite: stuffed pigeon (aka squab).
Unsplash on unsplash
Before The Meal
Now, when I first saw this on the menu, I was ecstatic. I knew that I would never be able to find this in America, especially because of laws to conserve wild birds, such as pigeons.
However, I was scared. I was worried if it would be too different of a taste than I usually enjoy in my protein, and I was overthinking it.
But despite that fear, I had great expectations.
Unsplash on unsplash
A Tasty Surprise
When it came out, I saw a gorgeous dark meat in front of me with freekeh (a cereal-like green wheat with nutty flavor) stuffed inside of it.
Just by looking at the meal, I could tell it was difficult to make. The meat was so thin and so delicate that if it was slightly overcooked then the meal would be ruined.
The freekeh had spilled all outside of it and smothered the plate, but it served as a layer over the glimmering meat.
Visually, the meal surprised me, because it was glistening all over in a way that made my eye attracted to it. Even though I had not even tried it, I wanted more just from how it looked.
Unsplash on unsplash
The taste is what blew me away the most. The nutty flavor of the freekeh mixed with the gentle, yet crunchy texture of the pigeon just mixed so well for my tastebuds.
At first, I was worried the freekeh had overpowered the dish, but it had actually complemented it so well. Once I finished the pigeon, the leftover freekeh was a great ending to the dish so that my stomach could settle.
on Pexels
Final Thoughts
I knew Egyptian cuisine could never fail me.
After I had finished the meal, I already wished I could eat it again. I knew I would rarely, maybe never, find this dish again. To this day I still have not found it.
However, it's nice to know that one of my last memories in the country that holds a part of my life is with this dish.