Everyone eats them every day!

We probably all remember our parents at one stage or another, telling us to eat our green vegetables! Now broccoli and brussel sprouts (especially cooked until they are soft and mushy) do not usually get those gastric juices going!
But come to Egypt and experience a wide range of what is called green vegetables or green things. But they are rather more leafy than one might expect.
• coriander (cilantro)
• parsley
• dill
• mint
• spinach
• ghargeer (roquet lettuce)

Salads anyone?

Egyptian local salads (balady) are delicious and fresh. My favourite ingredients are:
• tomato
• cucumber
• onion
• green pepper (if available)
• cilantro
• parsley
• lettuce
all chopped very, very small.

Salad dressing will usually be lemon, salt and pepper, with olive oil. The cilantro brings a fresh, unique and delicious taste. If you don’t like it, the local salads will not be your favourite!!

Where do they come from?

Daily, in any of the local fresh produce markets, you will find huge bunches of these freshly picked leafy greens. They have usually been picked fresh from the farms, and brought in on the back of a bicycle, almost luminous green with all the goodness packed into them.
Almost every person in the market will buy an assortment of these green leafy veggies. They go into salads, are mixed into the falafel batter, added to the local meat pies, are an accompaniment for fish dishes, and of course into every salad. The cost is very low, and you have a hard time asking for one small bunch of anything! You will usually get given at least 2 or 3 bunches.

A simple lunch

Often during the day, you might see a man carrying about 10 round flat shammy breads, a small packet of brown fuul beans, some falafel, a few tomatoes and then a nice healthy, shiny green bunch of leafy greens. This will make up a simple, quick but surprisingly tasty and healthy lunch. Wash it down with a glass of mint tea and you will be replete.

Don’t touch the salads

Many travellers are afraid to eat fresh leafy greens and salads and many guide books and travel clinics warn against it. We have found that if you select your restaurant or little shop carefully you should be fine. But if you are worried, don’t miss out on these delicious salads! Go out and buy a variety of them, take them home and wash them carefully yourself.
Then taste and see that these greens are good, very good!