Meals in the villages of Bahariyya oases have their customs. Although our hosts were happy to go out of their way for guests, believing the latter might not understand their rituals, they soon realized that with me and my travel companion, they didn’t need to. We gladly chose to do it their way, sitting cross-legged on the floor around a ‘tabliya’ (a small round wooden table about a foot high off the ground) and waiting for our first course to be served — which as per tradition in many areas around the world was piping hot soup.
The green side of Bahariyya oasis. Picture by Farida Helmy
A round metal tray, as big as the table, carrying a bowl of soup for each person is placed amid us. The soup itself is usually chicken, or duck soup if duck is to be served later. Once everyone has had their share, the tray is replaced with a second one carrying vegetable dishes.
Similar to Spanish tapas in serving style, the vegetables are each in their own small plate. A typical selection would be molokhiyya, potatoes, okra, green salad, olives and pickles. These are eaten with bread straight off the plate. There are no individual plates for each person and the only cutlery used is a spoon which you save with you after the soup for the main course. The vegetables are grown in the family’s garden, so expect to eat whatever is in season.
The third round metal tray is now presented, in our case it carried a bed of oasis-style rice, which is sometimes fried, with a pile of deliciously cooked meat on top. The meat is generally chicken, goat or beef and sometimes duck. Dig into the rice immediately in front of you and carve out your own space in the large dish. The meat is eaten by hand, Bedouin-style.
By then you are most certainly full, as quantities are never short. But do not rest just yet, a fourth tray appears loaded with different types of fruit: grapes, guava, apples and cantaloupes. A pitcher of water is placed next to the table all throughout the meal, with one glass shared among everyone.
And no meal is complete without a cup of tea. Or two.
– By Amr El Beleidy
Amr El Beleidy writes an extended narrative of his latest trip to the Bahariyya oasis — this time discarding his camping gear, moving away from the Western desert and getting deeper into the villages. He talks to residents, and spends a few nights in a typical family home — where everything from the deposed president to food are discussed. Read about his experience here.
About the Writer: Amr El Beleidy is a travel writer, blogger, an engineer by training and an entrepreneur, with a masters of science in Sustainable Energy Futures from Imperial, London. Follow his thoughts via his blog and on Twitter.
[...] women were given a warning and they all hid out of view. Our only interaction with women was eating the food they cooked. A bell rang and that signalled to the men that they should come pick up our next [...]
great job Amr , u made me feel like I was there
, Thank you …