Fair warning, if you can stomach what you are going to see, and you are not a vegetarian, then this listicle is definitely for you! Also, if you are a fan of trying out different – to say the least – dishes, well these Egyptian dishes present both the weirdest and the most commonly eaten meals in the country.

1) Tripe (AKA Kersha)

Tripe is mainly the stomach lining of cattle – cows’ are commonly used here – it is seasoned and then fried with little drops of oil in a cooking pan, and normally eaten with curry seasoned rice.

2) Testicles (AKA Makhasy)

Don’t be surprised; it seems like Egyptians have a fetish for eating deeply fried/grilled/seared Makhasy cooked on low heat with green pepper, garlic, tomatoes and some spices. There is a speculation going around the benefits of eating it - for men especially – increasing the levels of - yeah, you guessed it right!

3) Brain Meat (AKA La’hmet Ra’s)

This dish certainly brings back uncomfortable memories from the TV show Hannibal, specifically, the scene in which he was eating and cooking a man’s brain with shallots and white wine. So yeah, no need to kill anyone yet, you can enjoy a cow’s brain on your plate for lunch, instead! In Egypt, brains are sliced up, breaded, and deep fried, just in case you are a fan of nuggets.

4) Feet of Cows (AKA Kawara’)

We Egyptians can’t let anything go to waste. What could you possibly gain from eating cows’ feet, other than lumps of fat? Phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and collagen, are all answers to that question.  

5) Tongues (AKA Lesan)

Tongues of sheep and cows are seasoned and cooked in boiling water. So, for those who haven’t been kissed in a while, here is a creative way to get some literal tongue action going.

6) Sheep Fat (AKA Leya’)

It melts like butter in pans, and gives a wonderful taste to your peas, green beans and white beans sauce. However, it is still, Leya’, Sheep’s excess fat.

7) Fesikh (AKA Fesikh!)

Well, this dish doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world because it is basically fermented and salted fish left to rot. This process gives the fish a super salty taste, and makes the fishes’ meat quite tender. It is different from sushi, and it smells like mold. This is exactly why Egyptians typically eat it outside the walls of their own homes.

8) Lungs (AKA Fesha’)

You know how they used to show us the inside of plastic lungs in school, with their circular bronchioles and all, for us to understand how smoking can damage the lungs? Imagine eating cows’/sheeps’ lungs, with the same kind of plastic feel to them being ever-present. Egyptians typically serve these with veggies cooked on low heat.

9) Mish (AKA Mish)

This is a type of cheese that takes lots of salt and time to ferment; it requires months/years of fermentation, and actually dates back to the time of the pharaohs! So, if you do not mind eating salty cheese, which is literally filled with dead worms, well go right ahead and dig in!