Cheese & Upper Egypt specialities

Shaariya (vermicelli) — 500 g

60 EGP / 500g pack

Shaariya: fine threads of wheat pasta, one of the simplest and most-used things in an Egyptian kitchen. Its best-known use is rice with shaariya — fried in samna or oil until golden before the rice goes in, and that frying is where the flavour comes from. It also makes a vermicelli soup, goes into baked macaroni, and is cooked sweet with milk and sugar or with nuts in Ramadan. Keep it in a sealed jar or bag in a dry place. Watch it while frying: it colours fast, so keep the heat low and stir constantly. Basisa, freekeh and baladi fava beans are also part of the Upper Egyptian pantry here.