Ful medames

Egypt's national breakfast: slow-cooked fava beans with cumin, garlic, and lemon, eaten since the time of the pharaohs

Origin: Cairo, Egypt

From the journey of Cumin.

Ful medames is Egypt's national dish, eaten at breakfast by millions from Cairo street carts every morning. Fava beans have been cultivated in the Nile Valley since at least 4000 BCE, and evidence of their preparation with cumin dates to the New Kingdom period. Cumin seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun (c. 1325 BCE) and referenced in the Ebers Papyrus as a digestive remedy. The combination of slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with cumin, garlic, lemon, and olive oil has remained essentially unchanged for over three thousand years: one of the world's most enduring culinary continuities.

Ingredients

Beans

  • 800 g canned fava beans (ful medames), drained and rinsed

Aromatics

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

Spices

  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 0.5 tsp ground coriander
  • to taste salt and black pepper

Finishing

  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

To serve

  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 4 large eggs, hard-boiled and halved
  • warm pita or Egyptian baladi bread, to serve

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just beginning to colour.
  2. Add the drained fava beans to the pan. Using a fork or potato masher, roughly crush about half the beans; you want a mixture of whole and mashed beans for texture.
  3. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mixture sticks.
  4. Add the lemon juice and stir through. Taste and adjust seasoning; ful should be boldly seasoned with a strong hit of cumin and citrus.
  5. Transfer to a wide shallow bowl or plate. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the top. Scatter chopped parsley over.
  6. Serve with diced tomatoes, halved hard-boiled eggs, and warm bread on the side. In Cairo, this is eaten for breakfast, but it is a satisfying meal at any hour.

Notes

Dried fava beans can be used for a more traditional result; soak overnight and simmer for 2–3 hours until very tender. The canned version is a perfectly acceptable shortcut used widely across Egypt. Ful medames is endlessly customisable: some versions include a spoonful of tahini mixed through, others add preserved lemon or a drizzle of chilli oil.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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