After UNESCO Koshari nod, will Egypt's national dish become a delicatessen?

Egyptians were extremely proud when they learned that UNESCO had inscribed koshari, their most popular and affordable meal, on its list of intangible heritage. Then, at joy's heels, came a few tangible fears.

As they celebrated a cultural victory associated with their most budget-friendly dish, Egyptian koshari lovers also expressed concerns that restaurants serving the meal would use this international recognition to increase prices further, making it unaffordable for many who rely on it. 

"It's my favourite dish… delicious, affordable and available wherever I go," said Essam Mahmud, a 35-year-old security guard at a shopping mall in Cairo.

A father of two, Mahmud eats koshari nearly every day due to its convenience and value.

He is extremely worried that the new recognition will prompt restaurants and vendors to hike prices after years of steady increases.

"I'm sure everybody will try to cash in on this recognition at the expense of people like us, the poor," he told The New Arab.

The UNESCO inscription, made on 10 December, was the first time an Egyptian culinary tradition had been honoured in this way.

In being inscribed, koshari joins ten other Egyptian inventions on the same prestigious list.

Egypt's iconic national dish and one of the most popular street foods, koshari is a layered meal made of a combination of rice, macaroni (and sometimes spaghetti or vermicelli), black lentils, and chickpeas, all topped with crispy fried onions and served with two signature sauces: a tangy garlic-vinegar dressing and a spicy tomato sauce.

Additional garlic, chilli, or vinegar may be added according to one's taste.

The dish is entirely vegetarian and is celebrated for being nutritious, affordable, and satisfying, but whether it will remain affordable after the UNESCO recognition is a question everybody is asking, especially people with limited income like Mahmud.

There is a cruel paradox in the latest cultural victory: the world celebrates Egypt's soul food, while poor Egyptians shudder at the prospect of being priced out of it.

Deeply ingrained dish

Koshari is firmly established in Egyptians' everyday practices, serving as the main dish for people of all income levels, including the richest and the poorest, and is a budget-friendly option for low-income Egyptians.

It is commonly sold at colourful street carts, especially near schools and busy areas, in dedicated restaurants, or prepared at home for family meals and shared with neighbours during gatherings and social occasions.

UNESCO's recognition extends beyond the recipe itself to encompass surrounding practices, including preparations by the farmers who grow its ingredients, its skilled cooks and vendors who perfect the dish, and even the artisans who build its distinctive serving carts.

While regional variations of the same food exist, its core elements, gastronomists say, unite communities and promote social cohesion, cultural diversity, and inclusivity.

Commenting on the UNESCO recognition, Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Hanno hailed the development as a celebration of Egypt's living heritage.

This meal, the minister said, reflects everyday traditions passed down through generations.

The decision to inscribe koshari on the list of intangible heritage was made during UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee meetings in New Delhi, India.

Members of the Egyptian delegation at the meeting introduced attendees to the dish and warmly welcomed its inclusion alongside other globally recognised culinary traditions.

Constant rise in cost

Public fears about the expected rise in koshari prices are grounded in experiences in which traders used economic or social changes to inflate their profits at the expense of low-income consumers.

Food prices in Egypt have generally been rising for several years, with some food items increasing almost fourfold.

This was not, however, about food prices alone, as commodity prices have surged across the board. Such surges are dwarfing the financial capabilities of most consumers and opening the door for an unprecedented wave of what economists call "stagflation", a choking blend of inflation and stagnation.

The annual urban consumer inflation rate fell to 12.3% in November, according to the government, but this decline has yet to translate into lower food prices that consumers can feel.

The rise in food prices has been the most painful part of the inflationary wave sweeping Egypt since 2016, when the government allowed the Egyptian pound to float freely against foreign currencies for the first time after years under a controlled foreign exchange regime.

COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have forced Egypt to take the extreme measure of repeatedly depreciating its national currency, a choice that has proved disastrous for tens of millions of Egyptians, especially the poor and those who used to be part of the middle class.

Most of these people are now unable to meet their basic needs, with the bit of money they have far from enough to buy what their families want.

"These developments have reduced the purchasing power of most people to almost nothing, making them incapable of buying most of their needs," said Alia al-Mahdi, the former dean of the College of Economics and Political Science in Cairo University.

Speaking to TNA, she added that most foodstuffs are now out of reach for the poor and some middle-class households.

"Compounding this problem is the fact that salaries remain the same, and when workers are given a raise, this raise is never commensurate with the rise in commodity prices," al-Mahdi said.

She expressed concern that the middle class could disappear soon, with its members sliding into poverty as prices rise while salaries remain the same.

The Egyptian government has stopped releasing data about the national poverty rate. The most recent figure in this regard dates back to 2021, when the World Bank estimated that 33.5% of Egyptians were poor.

Smaller portions by the day

The price of koshari has been on a steady rise for several years, turning what used to be a wallet-friendly food into a luxury item.

To cater to a growing base of low-income customers, some restaurants and vendors set fixed prices but reduced portions and downsized plates.

Industry participants point to repeated increases in ingredient prices as the main culprit.

"Increases in the prices of ingredients have never stopped, driving the cost of making the final product dramatically up," Mohamed Anwar, the sales director at Hend, a major koshari restaurant chain, told TNA.

He said his restaurant chain had to raise prices several times in the past few years and also minimise the plates to cope with these ingredient price hikes.

Anwar and others in the industry welcome the latest UNESCO recognition, which has prompted them to rediscover the value of their trade.

He declined to say whether this recognition will lead to higher prices for the meals his restaurant chain serves, but acknowledged that the chain may have to if ingredient prices continue to rise.

Past price hikes have already taken their toll on poor consumers like Mahmud, the security guard.

He used to pay 20 Egyptian pounds (around 40 cents) for a generous serving of the meal five years ago. Now, he has to pay 50 pounds (roughly a dollar) to get the same amount of koshari.

"I'll have to stop buying koshari altogether if prices rise again in the coming days," Mahmud said. "For people like me, we'll scramble for anything cheaper, even though there really isn't."