Egypt’s iconic, beloved national dish Koshary, a hearty mix of rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and fried onions combined with a spicy tomato - vinegar sauce, was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2025 in an event wihch took place in New Delhi, India, marking the first Egyptian dish to receive this global recognition for its cultural significance, tradition, and role in daily life.
The Koshary represents a symbol of the North African country’s popular identity and traditions, a sort of gastronomic icon with a history highly captivating.
This delicious fusion, evolving in 19th century Egypt from the Indian “khicdi”, a dish consisting in lentils and rice cooked together, introduced by British colonial soldiers, Italian pasta, brought by Italian merchants and immigrants living in the country, and Egyptian cooks combined these elements with local ingredients like chickpea and onions, creating a hearty, inexpensive meal for the working class.
The quintessential Mediterranean and Egyptian touch came with the addition of a spicy tomato and tangy garlic - vinegar sauce, transforming it into the Koshary known today.
From street food stalls, the Koshary quickly spread and became a staple in homes and restaurants, across Egypt, beloved for its affordability and nourishment, and elevating itself as a true testament to Egypt multicultural past.
While modern Koshary is a colonial - era blend, some historians point to ancient Egyptian traditions of combining lentils, wheat, and onions, a dish called “koshir”, suggesting deep, though different roots for grain and legume dishes in Egypt.
In late 2025, Koshary received UNESCO recognition as intangible cultural heritage, solidifying its place as a cultural treasure.
The recognition emphasizes the importance of street food also able to enter in the Egyptian homes as a vital cultural expression, which united people, and is passed down from generation to generation, according to Sada - El Balad, news website and satellite television channel headquartered in Giza.
During the event held in December in New
Delhi, UNESCO evaluated 68 new nominations for inclusion in the list of
intangible cultural heritage, covering dishes, music, and festivals from
various culture around the world.
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