Egypt’s neighbouring countries have influenced Egyptian cuisine with hummus, falafel, kebab, and shawarma. Still, legumes, vegetables, and rice lay the foundation for the Egyptian diet. I love food and discovering its origins, so what better way to do that than an authentic cooking class.
I embarked on a culinary experience to explore traditional Egyptian food and discover how to create a few authentic dishes at Sofra Restaurant and Café.
Sofra Restaurant and café is in the heart of downtown Luxor. It was about a 20–25-minute walk from my hotel. Instead of taking a taxi, I decided to take a morning stroll to get a real feel for Luxor city. Walking alongside heavy traffic and children on their way to school, I watched locals jump in and out of service taxis and shopkeepers selling fresh fruits, spices, and handmade crafts until I reached a side street where I found Sofra Restaurant and café.
Sofra Restaurant and Café
Walking into the restaurant was very peaceful, with a 1930’s style dining space. I was surrounded by a beautiful, tiled mosaic design and the aromatic scent of traditional spices circling the air.
One of the things I loved most about this cooking experience was that you got to choose your own menu. I have cooked in over 12 countries, and this was my first time being free to choose what I wanted to cook.
One of the staple breakfast foods in Egypt cuisine is Foul, also known as ful. It’s a stew of cooked fava beans with cumin, chili, garlic, onion, lemon, and other spice ingredients. I had this for breakfast many days in Egypt and was intrigued by the cooking process, so I chose this as my starter dish. Then chose Egyptian rice and lamb kofta in a stew for the main dishes.
Vegetable and Fish Market
With the dishes chosen, the culinary experience started. My experience guide, Mohamed, took me on a 15-minute walk to a local market to buy the ingredients. We walked through a train station to get to the local vegetable market at the Luxor station exit. Mohamed taught me about the different herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Explaining what they are used for. We toured the market, smelling and picking fresh ingredients to use back in the kitchen. Although I wasn’t cooking fish, he walked me through the fish market, explaining the different types of fish and how they prepare and cook them. As we passed by, the local men cleaned and prepared their fish to sell.
Touring the local market was an authentic experience I really enjoyed. Walking around with Mohamed and learning about vegetables, fruits, and fish was great fun. It is a hidden gem only the locals knew about.
Spice Shop
After bagging the ingredients needed, we set off to a spice shop. Breathing in cumin, cardamon, mixed spices, and coriander scents, Mohamed collected the spices required for the class. I also bought some spices to bring home. I picked up a mixed spice bag for potatoes and one for chicken. Black cumin and coriander seeds, along with some dried hibiscus to make juice.
Sugar Cane Stop
On the way back to the restaurant, there was a stop at a local sugar cane stand. Mohamed bought me some fresh sugar cane juice. The juice was sweet and refreshing, so much so that I purchased more after the cooking class.
After a quick change into my Chef uniform and apron, it was time to enter the kitchen and take the culinary experience to the next level.
In The Kitchen
Foul (Ful)
To start with, Chef Made showed me how to prepare to make foul. I could not make this dish fully as the fava beans must be cooked down over medium heat until soft, which can take hours. However, Made and I completed all the steps required to make a pot and I got to enjoy some he had made earlier. The foul is packed with spices, and the best way to eat foul is with warm pitta bread. You just break the pitta bread and scoop the foul up using the pitta as the cutlery. It is absolute bliss in the mouth.
Egyptian Rice
The style of Egyptian rice the chef and I cooked was double-textured. In oil, we fried some short grain rice until lightly toasted, then added more rice with water. Various spices were added, and then the rice was boiled.
Lamb Kofta
To prepare the lamb kofta stew, I blended tomatoes, garlic, and onion for the sauce. This was then transferred to the hob, where we added spices and simmered it. I then rolled the minced meat into kebabs, ready to be added to the flavoursome brewing stew.
Surprise Dish
I got to make a surprise starter dish to accompany my meal, which was a bonus. I made some mini stuffed aubergines perfect to just pop into the mouth. They were packed full of flavoursome goodness.
Fresh Fruit Juice
For the drink to accompany my meal, Mohamed made me some fresh fruit juice with the exotic fruit we picked up from the market, which was mouth-watering.
Sofra Restaurant and Café Experiences
Suppose a cooking class is not for you. In that case, Sofra Restaurant and Café is known as one of the best restaurants in Luxor, specializing in traditional Egyptian cuisine, so be sure to enjoy a meal there for lunch or dinner. They also offer Felucca boat experiences.
I decided to continue my experience with Sofra Restaurant and Café further and go on a sunset Felucca ride in the early evening. It consisted of visiting the Sofra Nile Farm and Al-Aqalta, a local village. I got to get out and explore the farm and village before taking a slow sail back into the sunset and being dropped off directly at my hotel via boat.
Conclusion
The team at Sofra Restaurant and café was terrific. I thoroughly enjoyed my day from start to finish. Everyone was so friendly, and you could feel their passion for cooking and the restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and extra special as I helped prepare it. I recommend this experience to anyone wanting to dive deeper into Egyptian cuisine and learn new culinary skills in a fun, educational interactive environment.
Website: http://www.sofra.com.eg/
Email: info@sofra.com.e
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Let me know if you would do this experience?
Also if you have done this experience before I would love to hear your thoughts too