‘Tabaq El Mohafza’ Is the New Initiative Showcasing Egypt’s Food Treasures Across All Governorates

Beyond the classics like molokhia, koshary, and hamam mahsy, how much does the average Cairo-based person really know about Egypt food in all of the country’s governorates. Probably, not that much, and hoping to change that are the ‘Rayeh Gai’ initiative – who have launched a brand new social media ‘campaign ‘Tabaq El Mohafza’ aiming to shed light on the hidden culinary  treasures widely eaten in all governorates across the country.

‘Tabaq El Mohafza’ was launched with the intention of bringing to the forefront the diverse range of dishes rooted in different governorates around Egypt, as a way to increase this sense of community and exchange of food traditions amongst different governorates.

“We encourage people to dig around in their own governorates for its signature dishes, as well as to discover new dishes they’ve never tried before, cook them, and share them,” Farah Muhammed, co-founder of ‘Rayeh Gai’ tells SceneEats, “This ultimately builds a connection for people from across governorates. Egyptians are really interested in food.”

“We also aim to give people the opportunity to travel through food. Because travelling is difficult right now, it gives them the chance to experience different flavours and different areas in Egypt, until they actually can travel there.”

‘Rayeh Gai’ was founded by eight female Misr International University (MIU) students with the goal of promoting domestic tourism by spotlighting Egypt’s cultural hidden gems (and there are plenty) including food, art and folklore and aspects of Egypt that many people have never even heard of. They have several other campaigns on their platform focused on domestic tourism and sharing experiences and more.

To contribute with your signature dish of a certain governorate, DM ‘Rayeh Gai’ on Instagram or Facebook with your post, or mention them @rayehgai in the caption of your personal account (must be public obvs). Happy food exploration!