CAIRO: “Vegetarian? the stallholder or restaurant owner says, looking a little surprised. “You don’t eat meat at all? Well, we do have chicken. No? Not even chicken? Well, how about some fish, then.
As any vegetarian in Egypt knows, this kind of incredulity is the norm when you out yourself as a herbivore. I can only imagine the likely reactions if I were a more religious Sikh and had to tell everyone that I couldn’t eat egg either.
Never mind the practicalities of eating in Cairo, the most interesting thing about being vegetarian here is the confusion that it causes. “How can you possibly live without meat? is a common refrain. Some assume that my doctor must have ordered me to stop eating meat for a while.
Being from an Indian family, not eating meat is a perfectly normal choice. Most Indian religions encourage vegetarianism, and as such it is an accepted part of Indian culture. The country’s cuisine therefore has plenty of ways of getting protein without eating meat, mostly through lentils, beans and pulses.
In Britain too, the country where I was born and grew up, vegetarianism is common, especially in comparison to other countries in Europe. No one knows precisely why this is; perhaps it’s the logical conclusion of the much-vaunted British love of animals.
Most British restaurants, therefore, make sure they cater for vegetarians with at least a few options on their menus and most large supermarkets have even started catering for vegans, providing soya milk and egg-free cakes.
Egypt, being an Islamic country, however, questions about what’s permissible to eat are resolved through the provision of halal meat. The idea of avoiding it altogether tends therefore to be less common, but not totally absent. I have met a few Egyptians who say they prefer not to eat meat, some of them going as far as giving up chicken and fish.
Even though their reasons for doing so are normally simple dislike of the taste of meat and not connected to whether it’s right to eat meat or not, they are proof that vegetarians can get by here.
Also, many Egyptians have told me that they are forced to be vegetarian a lot of the time as they can’t afford meat for every meal. But for them, this makes the idea of choosing to give it up all the more baffling.
What the high cost of meat does mean though, is that Egyptian cuisine has developed its fair share of vegetarian options, mainly in the domain of snacks and mezze. There is of course the ubiquitous ta’amiyya and fuul, along with koshari (one of my personal favorites, especially with a lot of hot sauce), baba ghanough and mahshi (stuffed vine leaves.) But these can get a little repetitive if eaten on a regular basis.
But if you know where to look, meat-free eating in Cairo can go beyond the fava bean. The city has a culinary scene to match its status as a major world capital, and Zamalek in particular boasts many cafes and restaurants that offer many and varied vegetarian options.
However, these places tend to be at the more expensive end of the price range by Egyptian standards; not a problem for the passing tourist perhaps, but if you’re here for a while, you’ll need a good income to be able to take advantage of such places.
So the real problems start for vegetarians on a budget. This is where staying meat-free can be the most taxing. Some foreign vegetarian friends of mine who were here studying or interning have found it simply too hard and started eating meat.
For those who want to stay long-term in Cairo and keep the veggie faith, I’ve come to the conclusion that your own kitchen is essential. I have only been in Egypt for a short time, but have already found myself wishing I had somewhere where I could try and imitate my mother’s Indian cooking.
After all, a wide enough range of fruit and vegetables is available at the grocery stores, along with pasta, rice and plenty of other staples. If you start to get bored of the veggie fare on offer outside, the only answer is to start using your imagination at home.
