Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Like most cultures of the world, food permeates all aspects of life in Egypt. This is particularly clear in Egyptian literature and in its various literary representations which reflect a variety of emotions, socio-economic conditions and cultural practices. In this paper I discuss how food is depicted in modern Egyptian literature trough the genre of a literary cookbook. I attempt to answer the following questions: Can we understand a culture through its food and culinary practices? How does Egyptian literature archive the Egyptian cuisine? And what can the Egyptian cuisine reveal about Egyptian culture? My study explores the three main components of the literary cookbook and the interconnectedness between them. These components are: first, excerpts from modern Egyptian literary works where food features significantly; second, personal reflections which highlight the cultural aspects of cooking that involve folk beliefs, family traditions, affective experiences, and personal and social histories; and finally recipes from the Egyptian cuisine described in the literary works alongside photos representing them. The paper sheds light on the criteria used in selecting the literary works and the recipes featured in the cookbook, which have made it possible to present the work of both canonical and emerging writers, and demonstrate the variety of food cultures in Egypt by including food recipes belonging to various regions and ethnic backgrounds. Examples from the literary cookbook are shared to highlight some of the key findings of the project.