Aish Baladi

Bread is an essential ingredient in many cuisines. Its function is frequently dual: not only is it an important part of the meal itself, but it also frequently serves as a utensil or vessel in the consumption of food. This is true of Egyptian cuisine and aish baladi.

The Egyptian version of pita bread is aish baladi (or eish baladi). It's made entirely of whole wheat flour and baked at extremely high temperatures. In Cairo, it is baked several times a day and eaten at every meal, so you will never have to settle for stale bread in Egypt. This type of flatbread has been made since ancient Egypt. It was made with an ancient grain called emmer wheat back then. Wild yeast would aid in the rise of the dough, which would then be baked in traditional Egyptian clay ovens made from Nile River red mud.

Aish baladi has been a staple of Egyptian cuisine since antiquity. In fact, its name reveals how important it is to Egyptian culture. Aish means "life" and baladi means "traditional" or "authentic." It is consumed on a d