Global technology company, Google, launched on Sunday SofretMasr (A Taste of Egypt), a new website that gives food lovers the chance to experience Egyptian cuisine.
Powered by Google Arts & Culture, in cooperation with two local partners, the new platform includesover 1,700 high-resolution photographs, 60+ expertly curated stories and more than 30 videos of Egypt’s culinary history, dishes, culture and places for an immersive digital experience for those hungry for a taste of Egypt.
The new platform derives its force from the fact of food being a good tool for introducing peoples around the world to each other’s culture.
Egypt’s food culture usually demonstrates the diversity and nuances of Egyptian identity.
SofretMasrallows visitors to easily embark on a rich culinary journey across one million square kilometres and 7,000 years of culinary history, from cities along the Mediterranean like MarsaMatrouh, Alexandria and Port Said to those in the southern part of Egyptlike Nubia or along South Sinai’s mountains.
“Food is a key and often underrepresented part of Egyptian culture,” wrote Amr el-Kady, the chief executive officer of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, in an article he wrote about the new platform.
“Egyptian cuisine is as diverse as its history, with many recipes tracing back to ancient roots,” he added.
Through expertly curated stories, the new platform highlights how modern Egyptian dishes, such as fiseekh, a sun dried and salted fish, were actually inherited over generations.
This is manifested in how inscribed recipes on ancient Egyptian tombs feature ingredients that are a staple in the modern day kitchen.
El-Kady noted that a history of cookbooks in Egypt shares one of the first written recipes that is over 2,000 years old.
In the tenth century, he said, the blending of sweet and savoury dishes became more popular, with dishes, such as apple and beef stew growing in popularity.
“There’s no doubt that over the years, the introduction of new ingredients, such as aubergine and pasta, influenced the foods we eat today and inspired many of our current favourites, like Koshary and Taameya,” el-Kady wrote.
SofretMasr (https://artsandculture.google.com/project/taste-of-egypt) boasts a large number of sections that provide its visitors with a rich experience of Egyptian culinary culture.
One of its sections is titled ‘Eat like a pharaoh’. It gives visitors an idea about home grown foods in ancient Egypt and the type of food the land offered the ancient Egyptians.
It dedicates another section for Egyptian spices and their origins.
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