The Egyptian Way :: 3 Places to Order Groceries Online in Cairo

3 Places to Order Groceries Online in Cairo

I've been living and working in Cairo, Egypt for five (5) years and like in the U.S., it's my preference to physically go shopping. I like to see and touch the veggies and it's just nice to get out and about.

Cairo is a busy city! And frankly speaking, sometimes I just don't feel like going out. In the U.S. when I had that feeling, I would just go without or get off my ass and go to the grocery store.

In Cairo, good groceries are just a 'click' away and even with the 'click' the groceries may arrive within the hour. I say that because I know that you can order just about anything now on Amazon and it will arrive in a day or so. So that is a very nice option.

I don't order that often so I don't have a preference for a particular company listed below. I usually buy from the one that has the most items that I want in stock.

It should be noted that it is possible that you can find many of the items listed on any of these websites at cheaper prices if you visit a local market. There's a price for convenience - I'm all about convenience.

Gourmet Egypt

• Maybe one of the most popular online grocery stories. The name says a lot. However, because of it's popularity, they are often out of some items.

• Good experience ordering from them. They have a physical store in my neighborhood and the delivery is speedy.

• They have several physical stores around Cairo.

• The website is easy to navigate
• In English
• Various categories like 'gourmet delights' which is great for planning parties. 
• They have a search field.

• There is often a sale of some sort.

• They now offer gift cards in increments of 150, 250 and 500LE.

• The delivery fee (typically 9LE), times and locations is posted in the 'delivery/returns' section.

• They email you the receipt, but it does not include information about delivery times.

• One problem, if an item is not in stock they will email you. However, I think that they should call you so that if you want to cancel the order because certain items are no longer available, you will have that option. 

• Payment on delivery: cash or credit.

My June 5th order from Gourmet Egypt.

Offah

• Great experience with this company because they emailed the receipt and the approximate delivery time. They arrived on time with a bounty of food and I was able to pay with my debit card.

• Good prices and a good quantity.

• The website is easy to navigate.
• In English.
• Various categories.
• They have a search field.

• Information about delivery fee (9LE) and times is listed under 'customer service.'

• Payment is cash on delivery.

Nature's Gifts Stores

• I've ordered from this company before. Good experience.

• The website is easy to navigate.
•  In English, which is interesting because they have a video tutorial in Arabic. 
• A variety of categories to select from including non-food items.

• They offer some hard to find items like buckwheat, quinoa and gluten free products.

• They also email you your receipt and details of the delivery time and the final cost.

Happy grocery shopping.

Cairo Life :: Traditional Egyptian Dinner Setting

This traditional Egyptian dinner setting was spotted on the #AUC campus last week.

FOOD :: Guilt-Free Fries of Every Variety

FOOD :: Guilt-Free Fries of Every Variety

French fries have been one of my fav foods for most of my life. 

So imagine my delight when I saw The fries that Yummly's compiled for this list; they will make your mouth water. And you'll want to get in the kitchen and get busy.

Guilt-Free Fries of Every Variety
YUMMLY | JULY 13, 2012
http://pulse.me/s/beDw7


Everyone loves french fries! Who could resist that crispy exterior topped with just the right amount of salt? Read more

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

My three week ala carte trip to Barcelona and Spain this summer was quite the learning experience. It was my first solo trip that was planned without a package or a tour company.

Planning for this type of trip is key. In the end, it all worked out and I had a nice time.

Over the next few weeks I'll be recapping my trip. I'll highlight:

• the hotels
• some of the restaurants
• the activities and sites

But for now ... how about some pics of the food in Barcelona and Madrid? Delish.

VIDEO: The Food in Barcelona and Madrid

Reverb10 :: Soul Food

I've decided to be a part of Reverb10. It's a 31-day blogging challenge where you reply to the daily writing prompts that are designed to get you to reflect on this past year as well as provide some insight for the upcoming year. I'm going to give myself 5-7 minutes for each post.

Day 26 :: December 26, 2010 :: Soul Food

• What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

The first thing that I can think of is the food in Italy. Delicious, but you already knew that. However, what I found most interesting is the simplicity of much of the food. When we'd inquire about how some foods were prepared, the response was often: salt, pepper, lemon, garlic or some variation of that.

The breakfast bounty at the Agriturismo Marciano Bed & Breakfast. (Nov., 2010)

What I'll need to do is figure out how to combat the food disparity in Cairo. There are many food options there, but often the food at restaurants is just marginal. When it comes to preparing food at home, it's a matter or finding good veggies and fruit and fish and chicken ... however, I am planning on growing some herbs (inside) in the next month or so.

My Food Experience in Cairo and around Egypt

So far my food experience in Cairo has been just fine. I mostly like what I’ve eaten, but I have played it safe.

Still trying to find a place w/good vegetables.
Some of the vegetable stands just look questionable. Additionally, most folks are doing a good wash on the veggies (a combo of water and vinegar and a good scrub). That's a good precaution if you plan to eat the veggies raw. Might just as easy to blanche them or peel them. I've been told that the growing vegetables process is a bit different here (in ways that I'd rather not comment on in this post); point it, your stomach may not like what you put in it ...

I was surprised to learn that French Fries are as much a staple here in Cairo as they are in the States. Though the ketchup has a different taste. The ketchup is more tomato-y. Heinz has a big presence here w/their name on the label for mustard, hot sauce and some other condiments as well.

Nestle is quite common here as well. They are one of many of the bottled water companies. Even when ordering water in a restaurant, you will get a fresh bottle of water. Another thing I've learned is that Egyptians are quite fond of their Nescafe coffee; another Nestle product.

The Fanta brand is also popular in Egypt. Fanta is soda or pop and it comes in different flavors like grape and orange. What I do like is that the fresh juice selection here is bountiful: mango, orange, lemon, guava and more. Oh, and there's the karkadey (hisbiscus) juice. It's a little bit like pomegranate juice, but not.

The best thing about living in Cairo and Zamalek in particular is the delivery service. You can get nearly anything delivered here. Bottled water is the big delivery item. But not only that, food delivery is huge as well. There is a delivery service called Otlob and you can get delivery service nearly 24 hours a day. The choices run the gamut from Chinese to pizza to chicken tenders from Chilis. The prices are reasonable as is the delivery fee. Not food related, but worth noting is that you can get beer, wine and cigarettes delivered.

Traditional Egyptian food is sort of hard to find. Koshary (the spelling varies) is what I am looking for. I’ve been to a Lebanese restaurant, Taboula, that I can’t wait to visit again. I'm still stunned at the American fast food restaurants that are here: there’s plenty of KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut. There’s also a Baskin Robbins.

The good news, in my case, is that there are many restaurants that offer a pasta selection and usually some vegetarian options too. Though I am not a true vegan, it's nice to have some meatless choices. For a nice selection of restaurants, check out iCrocs fine dining in Cairo listing.