Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through Egyptian Cookbooks.
I love discovering new food and cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.
An iconic and culturally rich country🛕
Is your library missing an Egyptian cookbook? If so, you’re in the right place. I’ve listed the ten best Egyptian cookbooks on the market today. Some books focus on the historical aspect of the cuisine and give you recipes in the form of a thousands-year-long story. In contrast, some books give you recipes straight out of modern Cairo streets.
So you could say that, in a way, Egyptian cuisine is an infusion of many historical cultures. Not only does it include mouth-watering dishes and appetizers, but it also carries the history of the country gracefully within its plates. Generally, in terms of food, borders between are so blurry you might not even see them.
These are 10 Egyptian Cookbooks that we have chosen for you 👇
1. Eat, Habibi, Eat!
Review 📖
Tradition meets modernity in Eat, Habibi, Eat as the Canadian-Egyptian chef, Shahir Massoud, puts his touch on traditional Egyptian foods.
The cookbook carries more than 100 recipes written in a heartwarming and nostalgic tone that’ll make you fall in love with the cuisine. It includes unique Egyptian recipes like chickpea fries and coriander beef ribs and also has its fair share of traditional plates like shawarma and shakshuka.
About the Author ✍️
Shahir Massoud graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York. He’s a former chef of the Levetto restaurant chain and former co-host of CBC’s talk show, The Goods.
2. Egyptian Cookbook
Review 📖
Egyptian Cookbook carries the topic of easy Egyptian cooking gracefully with 50 delicious recipes. From Egyptian chickpea veggies omelet to Egyptian lamb chops, the book takes you on an enjoyable, tasty journey without overwhelming your culinary skills.
The easy Egyptian Cookbook manifests the effortless nature of cooking and teaches you how to cook Middle Eastern food in the easiest ways possible.
About the Author ✍️
Egyptian Cookbook is written by a team of food lovers from BookSumo Press. BookSumo Press publishes easy cooking books with many delicious recipes independently.
3. My Egyptian Grandmother’s Kitchen
Review 📖
Magda Mehdawy reminisces about her grandmother’s Egyptian heritage in My Egyptian Grandmother’s Kitchen. The book includes recipes all the way from Ancient Egypt to recent traditions like Islamic feasts, along with detailed advice on where to get the best ingredients.
What makes this book special is that Mehdawy honored her Mediterranean home city, Mediterranean countries, Alexandria, with a fair share of seafood recipes. So whether you’re in the mood for Egyptian saucy fish logs or shrimp kofta, you’ll love this book.
About the Author ✍️
Magda Mehdawy was born and raised in Alexandria. She graduated with an Archeology degree from the University of Alexandria and received the Al-Ahram Appreciation Prize for the Arabic version of this book.
4. A Culinary Legacy
Review 📖
Viviane Bowell channels her multicultural upbringing in A Culinary Legacy and gives us a myriad of delicious Egyptian and Middle Eastern recipes. The book includes many traditional recipes like Mahshi, Koshari, molokhia, Egyptian falafel sliders, and Sambusek.
The author also doesn’t forget her Syrian heritage as she teaches readers how to balance their dishes between sweet and sour using pomegranates and citrus fruits.
This might be the best Egyptian cookbook for people with a sweet tooth. They’ll love the desserts section that includes Om Ali, Konafa, Basbousa, baklava, and more.
About the Author ✍️
Viviane Bowell was born in Cairo in a Jewish Sephardic community and was expelled in 1956. She moved to England and wrote this book to immortalize the Sephardic traditions.
5. The Ultimate Egyptian Cookbook
Review 📖
The Ultimate Egyptian Cookbook is a compilation of 111 delicious Egyptian recipes explained in detail. Even if you want to make a dish as simple as Egyptian eggs, you’ll get authentic ingredients and detailed steps to help you cook the best version possible.
This book is a comprehensive collection of traditional and unique Egyptian recipes. It’s suitable for all skill levels, ranging from beginner to advanced chefs.
About the Author ✍️
Slavka Bodic is a Balkan author who wrote more than 60 cookbooks worldwide. She focuses on traditional recipes that her mother used to cook, away from the modernized touch that rules most cuisines now.
6. The Sultan’s Feast
Review 📖
The Sultan’s Feast is one of the best Egyptian cookbooks in English. It’ll take you on a thrilling ride through authentic Arabic cuisine with interesting historical facts about each recipe.
This cookbook includes detailed steps about food preparation, and although it includes unusual ingredients, it’s an ideal introduction to authentic Egyptian cooking.
About the Author ✍️
Daniel L. Newman is a professor of Arabic at the University of Durham, UK. He translated many books, including Modern Arabic Short Stories and An Imam in Paris.
7. Authentic Egyptian Cooking
Review 📖
Authentic Egyptian Cooking brings you the menu of one of the most famous restaurants in Cairo, Abou El Sid. It includes traditional Egyptian recipes, from appetizers like tahini to main dishes like Mahshi.
If you want to cook a unique and great-tasting feast, you won’t find a better book as a reference. It also includes other Middle East recipes, like aubergine with garlic.
This easy Egyptian cookbook brings Abou El Sid’s menu to your dinner table without you stepping a foot outside your house.
About the Author ✍️
Nehal Leheta works as an interior designer in Egypt and has a growing passion for culinary. She’s a co-founder of an interior design firm called Design Point and has had a hand in designing many authentic restaurants in Cairo.
8. The Taste of Egypt
Review 📖
The Taste of Egypt celebrates Egyptian cuisine with a plethora of tasty recipes. You’ll find everything you’ll be looking for in this book, ranging from appetizers and main dishes to sweet desserts.
While it doesn’t include many unique Egyptian recipes, it has all the traditional ones written in a friendly tone that’ll make you feel like you’re cooking with your mom in the kitchen. And if you tend to get bored with historical backgrounds, you’ll be glad to know that this book handles the topic of Egyptian cuisine in a modern way.
About the Author ✍️
Dyna El-Daief started as a blogger and became an award-winning author of this book. She lives in Melbourne with her family and gives cooking classes about Middle Eastern cuisine.
9. Bilhana
Review 📖
Bilhana, which means bon appétit in Arabic, brings you North African recipes from three different countries Egypt, Morroco, and Lebanon. It shows how diverse Middle Eastern cuisine is with its unique compilation of main dishes, appetizers, stews, and roasts.
Bilhana will make you ecstatic about cooking even the most basic meals with its vibrant photographs and flexible instructions.
About the Author ✍️
Bilhana is written by Shewekar El-Gharably and Yasmine El-Gharably. The former is a recipe developer and certified health coach with a passion for everything homemade, while the latter is the co-founder of the website Cairo Cooking and has a passion for sharing recipes.
10. Nile Style
Review 📖
Nile Style brings the lavish dishes of Egyptian cuisine to your table. The Egyptian book has 150 recipes that emphasize the effortless nature of cooking. It includes easy recipes that require minimal effort, like yogurt with honey and pita bread. On top of that, it includes sumptuous meals that belong on ceremonial tables.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced cook, you’ll appreciate this book’s simple cooking and detailed instructions.
About the Author✍️
Amy Riolo is an award-winning author with a growing passion for the Mediterranean diet and culture in general.
Final Thoughts
Egyptian cookbooks deliver rather unattainable recipes to your dining table. No matter where you live, you can prepare an authentic Egyptian feast with the touch of different Mediterranean countries that’ll take you on a historic trip to the streets of Cairo with one bite.
Some books focus on easy cooking and don’t stir away from traditional Egyptian recipes, like Egyptian Cookbook and My Egyptian Grandmother’s Kitchen.
Meanwhile, some authors can transform a plate as plain as Egyptian spinach into an explosion of flavors with a few touches, like Shahir Massoud in Eat, Habibi, Eat. He also innovates some recipes, like Egyptian pineapple fish.
Cookbooks like Bilhana and The Taste of Egypt focus on North African recipes as a whole and talk about Egyptian cuisine from a modern point of view.
Finally, A Culinary Legacy handles the country’s cuisine from a nostalgic perspective, with the author desperate to remind readers of a long-forgotten Sephardic legacy.
Although these cookbooks come from diverse cultural backgrounds and religions, they’re unified by the beauty and authenticity of Egyptian recipes. So choose your favorite one, and introduce your family to a rich history through scrumptious plates and heartwarming desserts.
