The Iconic Beach Food of Egypt’s North Coast, From Fruit to Fresca
By Kenzy Fahmy
White sand, azure waters, and sun kissed smiles; Sahel season is here and our favourite summer destination awaits. It’s finally time to leave the city and head to the beach!
While most places are known for their street food, Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline is all about the beach food. And despite the appearance of burgers, tacos and other international cuisines along the coast, there are certain staples that have stood the test of time and can still be found on beaches from Alexandria all the way to Matruh.
Beach season in Egypt usually runs from June till the end of August, in parallel with school holidays, and anyone who can will migrate to the North Coast to escape the vicious city heat. Luckily, for those who can’t make it to the sea, the city is gloriously empty on weekends, a rare and priceless treat for those living in Cairo.
Because the North Coast is such a seasonal thing, the food we eat there is also seasonal, which means lots of delicious summer fruit like mangoes, figs and grapes, all perfect for snacking on while you’re enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean breeze and looking out at a stunning turquoise sea. Egyptian mangoes are some of the best in the world, and the figs there are about as local and organic as can be, with rain-fed fig trees dotting the entire coastline. For an extra-special treat, try and get your hands on some of the amazing stone-pressed olive oil from Matruh, it’s well worth the trip west and you won’t find anything like it anywhere else.
Another iconic beach food that can be found on almost any beach along the coast is gandofli, fresh clams that have been cooked in a deliciously spicy sauce with generous amounts of garlic and fresh parsley; a little squeeze of lemon and you’ve got yourself the perfect beach snack.
You’ll find vendors walking up and down the beaches all day with their tray of fresh seafood balanced on one shoulder. If you’re lucky, you might even find some fresh ritza, or sea urchin, a luxurious delicacy abroad and a definite favourite among Egyptian foodies. Ritza isn’t always available though so make sure you keep an eye out if you’re a fan or if you’re feeling adventurous.
And then of course there’s the ever-present and all-important fresca; no North Coast beach is complete without it. Caramelized nuts and honey are sandwiched between two paper thin wafers to make a light but delicious snack that has become synonymous with the Egyptian Mediterranean. Its origins are unclear, although some say it has its roots in Italian cuisine, hence the name (which means “fresh”). Others say it came to Egypt with the Ottomans, with variations found in other Middle Eastern countries like Jordan. In any case, fresca became popular on the beaches of Alexandria where it was originally displayed in cases made of wood and glass.
Fresca vendor with eco-friendly paper bags by Drumstick Designs; photo courtesy of Tarek Barakat
These display cases evolved more recently into cases made out of aluminium, making them much easier to carry and helping to keep the delicate fresca from going stale. Another welcome change we’ve been seeing, especially in compounds further west, is the use of eco-friendly paper bags, allowing fresca vendors to take part in initiatives to reduce the amount of single-use plastics on our coasts.
The North Coast might be going through some drastic changes, but some things will always remain the same. We’re incredibly lucky to have all this deliciously fresh, seasonal and healthy food to enjoy while we’re at the beach; let’s keep these traditions alive and support our local vendors when we can, they might just be the one constant in an ever-changing world.