Egyptian Salad

Egyptian salad usually has delicious vegetables, nice spices and vinegar dressing (including cumin plus a mix of spices you can buy in the grocery store called "mixed spice") and the bits of vegetables are usually cut up super small and yummy.

The best things in life are free

Today I went shopping, and I went to a fruit and vegetable stand and wanted to pay for a handful of cilantro. The guy kindly laughed and told me I could take it for free (I guess 2 big batches of herbs is sold for about a quarter of a pound). Anyhow, Egypt has overall been a country that has taught me how the best things in life are for free. Not just the thrill of getting a freebee, but somehow a deeper lesson in simplicity that separates monetary value from value.
Despite poverty, despite hardships, the Egyptians laugh and love with such big hearts and compassion, proving that even amongst the poorest people, the greatest light can shine -- with a vitality that can spice up life and color it with fabulous flavors.



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Red hot spicy lemons

When your tongue doesn't know what it's looking for,
these spicy lemons are sure to perk it up
and make your mouth water in pure joy.

Yummy goodness.

Especially yummy with aish baladi (Egyptian traditional bread) and cheese. Good to eat morning, noon, or night. Taken as a side dish, or just go wild and binge on them all by themselves (arm yourself with some bread however).




Eating them always makes me think of the song by Fool's Garden, "Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky...And all that I can see is just another lemon-tree..." Well, this is one lemon tree best served shaken and spicy.

When I set about making my list about the things I love about Egypt, spicy hot lemons was the first thing that came to mind. Maybe its symbolic; there's a fiery passionate edge to Egypt that overtakes its sour elements and keeps this place delicious.