Fresh Fruit Juice
There is a plethora of fresh fruit stalls all over the city. It certainly looks appetizing, but it’s much safer to get your fresh juice at a restaurant. In most of the stalls you will be given a glass cup to drink out of at the stall itself. This juice isn’t meant to be taken away. These cups are only rinsed after being used, not fully washed. Of course, that makes them a breeding ground for germs that the average tourist cannot handle. If you cannot resist the lure of fresh fruit juice, at least take your own cup!
Feteer
Feteer is an appetizing type of pastry that can be either sweet or savory depending on the filling. It’s almost like a thicker crepe. In the streets of Cairo you will see men with stalls surrounded by bees. These stalls sell feteer filled with basboosa or cheese. Basboosa is a semolina cake covered with honey. This sounds like a delicious snack, but those bees are a warning. The feteer, basboosa, and cheese are all sitting unrefrigerated in the hot Cairene sun. The utensils being used are not cleaned and you should not be surprised to find cigarette ash mixed together with your basboosa. If you want to try this popular snack, your best bet is to try an Egyptian pizzeria. Most will have both sweet and savory options, but in a slightly cleaner environment. Your stomach will thank you.
Liver and Sausage Sandwiches
Here you’ll find a street food that even the locals won’t touch. The other stalls you’ll see dotted on the sidewalks of busy streets will be selling these sandwiches. Liver and sausage sound harmless enough, but you will not even be able to tell what kind of liver you’re eating. The meat is not refrigerated and it’s often unidentifiable. The same stalls may be selling ful sandwiches, too. Ful is an Egyptian national dish made of a fava bean puree. It is so filling that one sandwich can last most of the day. Nonetheless, it’s best to get your sandwiches from a restaurant. At the very least, the meats and sandwiches will be better stored and you’ll know exactly what you’re ordering.
Of course, this is not the only street food that Cairo has to offer. Tourists will find safer, cleaner options if they look hard enough in the right areas. Before ordering anything, take a look at how the food is being prepared and then decide if it’s sanitary or not. Hopefully, you will find something delicious and safe.