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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Egypt
Fried patty made from ground dried fava beans and herbs, crunchy on the outside and soft inside. It’s the Egyptian version of falafel and, together with ful medames, forms Egypt’s most common breakfast, often served in a baladi bread sandwich.
Traditional dish from Egypt
Also known as: Taameya, Ta'amiya, Ta'amiyya, Tamiya, طعمية
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Ta'ameya — Egypt
Ta'ameya is Egypt’s falafel, with one important difference: instead of the chickpeas used in other countries of the region, its base is ground dried fava beans. The mixture is seasoned with herbs and spices, shaped into small patties, and fried in hot oil until a golden, crunchy crust forms and the interior remains soft.
Egypt’s official tourism materials describe ta'ameya as a vegan patty made from ground fava beans mixed with herbs. Recipes vary from household to vendor in the proportions of herbs and spices, but the fava bean is what sets it apart.
In Egypt, ta'ameya is a breakfast staple alongside ful medames. It’s sold hot, right after frying, in small restaurants and street carts, and is often placed inside baladi bread as a sandwich with salad and tahini. It’s a meatless, quick meal found in cities across the country.
Egypt
Egypt’s fava-based falafel, a breakfast staple nationwide.
Ground dried fava beans, herbs and spices; fried in oil. Proportions vary by recipe.
Hot, right after frying. On a plate with ful medames, salad and baladi bread, or inside the bread as a sandwich with salad and tahini.
Mainly for breakfast; also as a snack throughout the day.
Your questions
Ta'ameya is the Egyptian falafel, but made from ground dried fava beans rather than chickpeas as in other countries of the region. It’s seasoned with herbs and spices and fried until crispy.
The traditional recipe is fava beans, herbs and spices fried in oil, with no animal-derived ingredients. A sandwich may include other accompaniments: ask if you need to avoid something.
Hot, right after frying, for breakfast with ful medames, salad and baladi bread, or inside the bread as a sandwich with tahini.
Flavors of Egypt
Layers of toasted bread moistened with broth, rice and a garlic, vinegar and tomato sauce, topped with cooked meat. It’s the Eid al-Adha dish in Egypt and also appears at Coptic Easter and other family celebrations.
A multi-layered puff pastry made with samna, the clarified butter, baked until golden and crisp. It’s eaten plain, with honey, molasses or ashta, or with savory fillings; traditionally baked in clay ovens.
Slow-cooked dried fava beans until tender, partly mashed and seasoned with oil, cumin, lemon and garlic. It’s the most common breakfast in Egypt, served with baladi bread in homes, small restaurants and street carts.
Young pigeon stuffed with rice or fireek (green wheat), with onion and giblets, cooked in broth and then roasted or grilled until the skin browns. A classic on Egyptian tables, it is usually served in pairs.
Round buttery cookie, dusted with powdered sugar, plain or filled with ajameya (honey and walnuts), dates, or pistachio. It’s the sweet of Eid al-Fitr, at the end of Ramadan, prepared at home or bought at bakeries and patisseries.
Rice, short pasta, lentils and chickpeas, topped with tomato sauce and crispy fried onions, served with garlic vinegar and a spicy sauce on the side. It is Egypt’s most popular everyday dish, sold in specialty shops and street carts, and was inscribed by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2025.
Thick green soup made from very finely chopped jute leaves, cooked in broth and seasoned with toasted garlic and coriander. Served with rice or bread, often with chicken or rabbit, it is for many Egyptians the quintessential home dish.
Beef liver cut into thin strips and quickly fried with garlic and bell pepper, seasoned with cumin and lemon. It’s named after Alexandria and is served as a sandwich on the city’s thin bread, with tahini.
A dark-red drink made from dried hibiscus calyces steeped in water, with a tart flavor, sweetened and served cold or hot. In the Aswan region, among the Nubians, it is the welcome drink offered to arriving guests.
