Ful Medames (Fava Bean Breakfast)

Ful medames is Egypt’s national breakfast, a pot of fava beans simmered until velvety and smashed with garlic, cumin, and lemon. Its history reaches back to the pharaohs, and today it is served everywhere from street carts with bowls of fixings to family tables on Friday mornings. Cooks argue over the perfect texture, some liking it soupy and others thick, but everyone agrees it must be piping hot, and it is always eaten with warm baladi bread for scooping.

The breakfast of pharaohs, still going strong

Done right, ful is creamy and earthy, with the garlic and cumin sharpened by lemon and finished with a generous pour of olive oil. The toppings are part of the ritual — diced tomato, raw onion, chopped parsley — each scoop of bread grabbing a different combination. It is filling without being heavy, humble without being plain, and it is the breakfast that makes Egyptians feel at home no matter where in the world they wake up. Add a boiled egg on the side and the morning is complete.

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