Ful is the most common traditional breakfast, it’s a staple in every Egyptians’ diet. Ful, pronounced as fool, is made of fava beans cooked with oil and salt. Fava beans (broad beans) are encased in long fat green pods.

They require soaking overnight and cooking for hours over low heat in an “idra” in order to remove the beans casing.

Traditionally this is how they are cooked and served by street carts in Cairo and around the country – the most popular Egyptian food there is.

Since the fava beans require long preparation, a pre-made version in cans is being sold in local markets and grocery stores. The beans can then be prepared on the stove or even in the microwave.

Ful is commonly eaten as a dish with eggs, cheese, pita bread, and/or also popular food like Tamiya

It can also just be an easy, quick breakfast made into a sandwich. The beans are packed with essential nutrients such as carbohydrates and iron and they’re low in saturated fats.

Ful can be very hard to find outside of Egypt, but you can get it online here or here.