Summer Language Abroad 2023

In my time here in the Mother of the World (ام الدنيا) I have had the pleasure to try some of the best food on the planet, some things for the first time in my life, and others were all-time familiar favorites. This list will identify and briefly explain my top picks during my time. This is not in any particular order, but if one of the items is a particular favorite, I’ll note it in my description.

1. Qahwa Turkie (Turkish Coffee)

Ironically, one of my favorite foods/ drinks here isn’t even Egyptian in origin, rather it is turkish. Characterized by notes of cardamom and being like a double-esspresso’s older, more mature brother, I normally made myself one cup every day at school, using a special pot called a Kanaka and I would put it on the hot plate. The process took about 8 minutes, which fit perfectly in my 10 minute breaks. Making it with a head of foam (وش) is an art that I eagerly tried to learn by listening attentively to the advice of my professors and some of the other employees. By the end, I was much better at making consistently delicious cups.

2. Shay (tea)

Like the coffee, shay was an integral part of my time in Egypt. You can truly drink it any time of the day, and I could easily drink two or three cups in a day. I add a little bit of splenda to mine, and keep the bag in it, sip and enjoy. 

3. Teen Shoki

Teen Shoki is prickly pear, a fruit that grows on cacti, and is in season only during the summer. I got lucky! It is delicious, and you can get around 3 of them for 10 guinea, equivalent to about 30 cents USD. This picture shows the most common place to get Teen SHoki, in the street! Here I am with my father where we bought and ate some  Teen Shoki and also some Dora (corn) which will be featured later in this list! The fruit in Egypt is next to none, and I really ate tons of it during my time.

4. Abu Tarek Koshary

Koshary is one of the national dishes of Egypt, and the best place in the world to get it is a restaurant called Abu Tarek. Everyone in Egypt has tried this restaurant and loves it. Now what is koshary? Basically it is a dish combining two types of rice, chickpeas, lentils, lemon, tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and then you top it off with fried onions. Such a hearty dish, one that I really dream about here, and on top o that, super affordable as well. 

5. Wara2 Enab

Wara2 Enab is grape leaves, and they are stuffed with rice and ground beef then tightly wrapped and steamed. They are only reserved for special occasions because of how time-consuming they are to make, but I really love them.

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6. Manga

The second fruit of the list! Manga, or Mango in English, is one of the best deserts in Egypt. I tried dozens of different types of mangos, and my favorite was one called Saddequa, a very big, sweet and succulent mango that I loved to eat. I normally ate at least one mango a day.

7. 3seer Asab

This is sugar cane juice, and to be honest, it may be my absolute favorite thing on this list. I drank this often in the streets, and absolutely loved it every time. It is so refreshing and I always finish it in less than a minute. Such an incredible item that characterizes my time in Egypt for sure. 

8. Lib soury

Lib soury is sunflower seeds, and in Cairo there are whole stores dedicated to selling roasted seeds. My favorite one was called Noor 3la Noor, and it was a 10 minute walk from my apartment, so I went often and would by a ¼ kilo bag and then it would last for a couple of days between me and my family. I love sunflower seeds.

9. Tarb

Tarb is basically kofta which is ground beef wrapped with a piece of fat. Super unhealthy, and I only ate it once during my time, but delicious for sure. It had to go on the list because this was the first time I tried something like it.

10. Ful

Ful! This is possibly the most popular Egyptian dish of them all. A classic, hearty breakfast consisting of fava beans, corn hoil, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon,and onions, you can eat this in the morning in the street, or you can make it at home. Pictured below is when myself and my uncle and cousin went one morning to a ful cart in the street and enjoyed the iconic meal with some pita bread. Delicious and nostalgic for me for sure.

11. Roz bil laban bil qshta

Roz bil laban is a dessert that is basically rice pudding, and what makes it special in Egypt is that it is traditionally eaten with a cube of qshta on top, which is cream. This was one of my favorite desserts, and also one of the first times I tried qshta, which really enriched the dish as a whole. So tasty.

12. Feteer Mesheltet

Feteer is a common type of pastry bread that is made of layers of dough and ghee, and then you eat it with condiments, either molasses and tahini for the sweet version, or cheese and tomatoes for the salty version. It is a classical Egyptian breakfast, and is decadent, but very heavy for sure.

13. 3eish balady

3eish balady is the most common type of pita bread in Egypt, and you can find it on every single table with every meal. I bought this regheef (loaf) for 1.5 guinea, equivalent to about 4 cents, and it was delicious, fresh from the oven. There are ovens all over the place, and my grandmother always stocked from a particular one whose taste was the best bread I’ve eaten in my life.

14. Molkhaiya

Molokhaiya is a green stew/soup made from a certain leaf that grows in Egypt. It is a savoury, kind of slimy dish that is served typically over rice and with chicken and vinegar and onions. This is one of my favorites for sure, an all-time classic that is extremely nostalgic for me. You can also eat it with the 3eish balady.

15. Tamar (dates)

Tamar is dates in Arabic, and the best type is one called Tamar Soccary from a shop called Abu Auf. This translates to sugar dates, and I would buy a box about every two weeks for my grandmother, who loves dates. We would eat one or two every day together, and they remind me of her now. I love dates because of my grandma.

16. Shawarma

Shawarma is one o the most well-known arabic dishes in the world, and it is amazing. In egypt, there are many restaurants that specialize in it, but my favorite is a place called Abu Haidar, and from there you can get the shawarma a few ways. Firstly, you can pick between chicken and beef, I always pick beef. Then, you can pick the type of bread. The more traditional type in Egypt is a kaiser roll, but I prefer to get it on 3ish soury, which is Syrian pita bread that is super thin. The sandwich normally consists of the meat, then tahini and pickled carrots or onions. Such an awesome lunch.

17. Mumbar

Mumbar is a well-known sausage that is basically the intestine of the animal stuffed with rice and meat and then cooked thoroughly. The texture of the skin is very snappy and this is one of the best things to eat in Egypt. I love Mumbar tons.

18. Hamam Mahshi

Hamam Mahshi is stuffed pigeon, one of the meals that is reserved only for special occasions because it is very difficult to prepare. The meat is dark and tender, and the stuffing is this cracked barley mixture called fereek. I ate it only once during my visit, and it was cooked by my cousin’s Grandma, Aunt Suzie, and it was one of the best hamam mahshi I have eaten in my life. Every time we used to visit Egypt in my childhood, my grandmother would make this for us, and I love it dearly.

19. Kawar3a

Kawar3a is one of the newerthings I tried on this list, it is beef trotters. It is super gelatinous, and heavy, and I enjoyed it but it’s definitely an acquired taste. NOrmally you eat it either in a soup or on rice with red sauce like this.

20. Dora  

Dora is corn sold in the street. They normally prepare it on a grill and it is an awesome snack to grab on the go. It is super affordable too. There are two types, the white corn and yellow corn, with the yellow corn being sweeter and a little more expensive. 

21.  Koshk

Now, this isn’t really a food, moreso a concept in Egypt called a koshk. It is a little open-air market filled with quick snacks like cold drinks and bags of chips, and I love it tons. There is a big koshk culture in Cairo, and you can find one on nearly every corner. I normally get water from these and maybe even a bag of spicy chips if I’m feeling like it.

Overall, the food in Egypt is like no other,and I was able to really enjoy trying new things and eating other things that hold great memories for me. I hope  this list gives you an idea of the culture from a slightly different angle!

After living in Germany for 2 months and traveling to different cities and countries on the weekend, I’ve learned a lot about the country and its culture. Naturally, German has many similarities to the United States, but it also has some significant differences. After looking at Germany’s Hofstede Index and comparing it to that of the United States, I noticed Germany is identical to the United States in everything except for Indulgence and Long-Term Orientation. As such, I’d like to share my experiences in Germany in relation to these cultural dimensions.

Although Long-/Short-Term Orientations are hard to notice at first glance and even after living in a country for only 2 months, I still was able to see small things that demonstrated Germany’s focus on the long-term. For example, Germany places a large focus on the environment, recycling, and saving money. One can recognize this after 1 trip to the grocery store. While there, I noticed that every customer brought their own bags and bought enough food for a few days/maybe a week. In regards to the store policies, Germany is a big supporter of recycling, such that they have instituted a recycling-incentive system. A “deposit” of sorts is put on any plastic and glass bottle, so when you buy a bottle, you pay for both the liquid inside of the bottle and the bottle itself. When you return to the grocery store, you can recycle it for your money back. This deposit and return is called “Pfand”. I thought all of these were very interesting to experience, and after thinking about it, I realize it is just a step beyond America. In America, we use plastic bags in grocery stores, believe in optional recycling, and have no incentive to recycle. In Germany, they banned plastic bags, believe in recycling (to an almost insane degree), and have a system in place to incentivize recycling. All of these simple factors are but one example of Germany’s care for the environment and therefore their focus on the long-term.

The other dimension I thought was interesting was Germany’s restraint compared to America’s indulgence. However, I find the index to ignore some parts of German spending because they consider it a part of their society. Specifically, I am referring to Germany’s baked goods and coffee culture. They will enjoy baked goods and coffee at many points in the day, but I don’t believe this is factored into the index. To me, an American, I see this as a clear indulgence of their desire for sugar and caffeine. But to them, it is a social norm and a common event to drink coffee during the day for 30+ minutes. However, I believe Germans demonstrate restraint in other ways. While Americans are very lax about how long their 30 minute lunch break actually is or what they do during school (talking to their friends), I think Germans are concerned about their work and finishing their tasks during work. Now, that’s not to say they don’t talk to coworkers at all, but they are a very punctual society and start and end work on the dot. They prioritize their tasks and goals more so than their wants and desires. I myself saw this in class. Class started at exactly 9, talking and eating during class was strictly prohibited, and breaks were exactly 15 or 30 minutes long. We had fun during class, of course, but the teachers made sure we were on topic for as long as possible.

After exploring the other cultural dimensions of Germany and comparing them with the US, I think that they are not too different. Germans and Americans share many similarities when it comes to recognizing a power difference, but not enough to where there is an organized hierarchical structure. We both desire success in school, work, and life, and are not afraid to flaunt it in the form of houses, clothes, and cars. However, as an American, there were many differences in day to day life and societal pressures I hadn’t felt back home. For one, there was a new emphasis placed on the environment and on punctuality. But overall, I didn’t believe I was in a totally different land culturally. Many values were the same, and the same power structure and success-oriented mindset persisted through cultural “barriers”.

This exercise was very informative and interesting, and I now view Germany in a different light. I don’t see it as different as before, while emphasizing the differences in, for example, long-term goal setting. I may be adopting some aspects of their society, like punctuality, since it seems useful in every situation!

Till next blog, John