Food, Drink and Identity in Europe

Egyptian food experience of international visitors: a multidimensional approach

“…Egypt’s civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and Egyptian food culture is one of the main facets of this great civilization (Goldschmidt, 2008; Wilson, 1988). Based on its long historical diversities and its location as a hub for diverse cuisine between Africa, Asia and Europe, food culture in Egypt illustrates the diversity of origins and features of the Egyptian cuisines (Mohamed et al , 2019).…”

“…Based on its long historical diversities and its location as a hub for diverse cuisine between Africa, Asia and Europe, food culture in Egypt illustrates the diversity of origins and features of the Egyptian cuisines (Mohamed et al , 2019). While certain cooking methods and ingredients have remained the same since the days of the pharaohs, certain consecutive influences found their ways to the Egyptian cuisine during many eras of Greek and Roman periods, foreign immigration, the Islamic invasion and the Ottoman invasion (Mehdawy and Hussein, 2010; Wilson, 1988). All of these influences have positively added to food heritage and food habits, as well as recipe variations, and modern Egyptian cuisine is the outcome of these influences.…”

“…The ancient Egyptian cuisine was having about 40 kinds of bread and bakery items that ranged in shape from oval to round and concave. They used different kinds of flour, including wheat, barley and corn, with many additives such as butter, eggs and honey (Wilson, 1988). Most of these types of bread are still consumed in the modern-day Egyptian cuisine (such as Bataw or Zallout bread, Sun Bread or Maltoot, Senn Bread, Roqaq and Menattat or Wase’ bread).…”

“…Egypt does have both a distinct food culture and a food civilization rooted back to 5,500 years ago or earlier (Wilson, 1988; Hashay, 2000; Wassef, 2004). The existing literature has extensively discussed the Egyptian civilization in the light of its elaborate pyramids, temples and tombs, while other aspects of the Egyptian civilization have received far less attention (Goldschmidt, 2008; Wilson, 1988). Food culture represents one of the obscure facets of the Egyptian culture (Mehdawy and Hussein, 2010).…”

Nationalism and Economy

“…Consumption is the realm in which notions of national culture routinely acquire an economic dimension. Numerous authors have investigated the discourses and practices through which specific consumer goods become "nationalized"-from food and drink (Wilson, 2006) to various industrial goods, such as furniture, clothes, household design, and automobiles (Edensor 2002;Kühschelm, Eder, and Siegrist 2012). Emphasis has been placed on the crucial role played by corporate marketing in the reproduction of such banal notions of national uniqueness, highlighting how advertising frequently seeks to create or conserve images of products as national brands (e.g., Prideaux 2009).…”