My New Developing Country Diet
In preparation for my impending trip to Cairo, I am not only creatively managing the limited space in my world traveler bag, but I am also meticulously selecting food options for the next couple of days. Why? To avoid the Pharaoh’s Curse. Having unexpectedly bumped into Mr. Pharaoh’s cousin in Damascus, I now know the importance of carefully selecting food consumption items. The following is a list of some non-excretion inducing products I had in mind:
1. Canned Hummus I swiped from an airport lounge in Atlanta.
Downside: tastes yummy when veggies are dipped in it. Probably can be easily solved by substituting with pita bread.
2. Good old dependable S’mores Luna bars and surprisingly yummy tasting and satisfying
French energy bars.
Downside: the chocolate easily melts in heat, or upper 70s temps.
3. Cereal
Downside: Can quickly become boring and if consumed without milk, can easily be unsatisfying.
The hard part about trying to avoid bacteria (our overly sterilized American bodies are shocked by) present in fresh fruits, veggies and water, is that it creates a diet heavy on carbohydrate consumption. So, as such, I looking for other options and open to any “safe food” suggestions from our readers who have traveled to foreign countries that harbor something more deadly than terrorists to our sensitive American bodies-food poisoning agents-or possibly, any consistently “safe” food spots in Cairo.
Is this your first trip to Cairo? Eat lots of kosheri, its 25 cents and it fills you up for the whole day. =P Try kosheri Tahreer next to the old AUC building in downtown Cairo, its tourist friendly.
Abu Ammar el Soori in Syria Street has some pretty good/clean syrian style shawerma.
I've been blessed to travel lots in this world, but the one downfall are the tummy issues. I know it's not the most figure-flattering, but eating anything fried (i.e. falafeh!) is ok along with the carbos you mentioned. Carbs + fried foods= feeling yucky, but saves your tummy. But note- this equation DOES NOT WORK in India, at least not in my experience. I never got sick in Lebanon though, so think you should be ok there. Good luck.
i say eat the food, get sick and recover – it will build yr immunity for the future. but then i grew up in india, so i have the "delhi belly".
abu tarek is also excellent.