Food and drinks are some of the easiest ways — and the most fun— to vicariously experience another culture. When you add a great book to the mix, you've got the makings of a perfect evening. In Food+Fiction, we recommend a delicious read and a related recipe so you can try the taste of different destinations in your own kitchen.

This post is part of our Food+Fiction series.

According to lore, ful medames — the traditional Egyptian meal of cumin-infused fava beans with pita bread, fresh herbs, and boiled eggs on the side — has been the winning way to start the day since the time of the pharaohs.

It’s sometimes foul mudammas or ful madammes or ful medames, but it’s almost always breakfast. Super popular in Cairo and Giza, but eaten throughout the country, ful medames is a savory, hearty dish to help you get your bearings on the day, preferably accompanied by a lovely cup of strong tea.

That’s just what Ali al-Raqb does in the enchanting novel The Last Watchman of Old Cairo. Ali is a poor Muslim without prospects when he’s hired to be the night watchman at the Ibn Ezra Synagogue. Soon he’s caught up in powerful forces beyond his control but also, happily, finds friends among Old Cairo’s Jewish community. Ali eats ful each day after wrapping up the night shift and before heading out on his regular walk through the neighborhood.

Ful medames is popular street food and restaurant fare, prepared and served in large, steaming metal jugs — a tradition that dates to the Middle Ages. Back in the day, the ful trade was centered around the Princess Baths, public baths near the 11th century Bab Zuweila gate, one of the 25 gates in the fortifying wall around the Old City of Cairo.

During the day, bath attendants kept fires burning to heat the water in the enormous pots known as qidras. At night, the red embers of the fires continued to give off heat, so the qidras were filled with fava beans. The cauldrons simmered all night, and in the morning, the ful medames were ready to be served at breakfast.

The recipe is a simple one: fava beans are seasoned with ground cumin, then drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice. A few rounds of warm pita bread are served on the side, and the beans are dressed up with colorful toppings: minced herbs, diced tomatoes and cucumbers, sliced onion and hot peppers, wedges of hard-boiled egg, olives, and perhaps, a dollop of tahini sauce.

The beans only get better after resting in the fridge for a day or two, so you can simmer a batch on the weekend and eat at your leisure all week. Ful medames is Egyptian-style comfort food for breakfast, but it’s also an excellent last-minute dinner on a busy day.

Egyptian Ful Medames

Serves 2-4. Total time 15 minutes.

Ali enjoyed the contemplative solitude of his schedule, watching over the synagogue when the city was asleep and sleeping when the sun rose. Most days he awoke just after noon to the sound of children playing in the street. After washing, he prayed, prepared himself a pot of tea, and warmed a plate of ful or a bit of dinner from the night before. Then he fed the kittens and set out for his daily walk around Fustat. Cutting through the mostly Coptic neighborhood around the old Babylonian Fortress, he might buy a few vegetables at the produce market or some bread at the bakery… — Michael David Lukas</cite>

This family saga (288 pages) was published in March of 2018 by Random House. The book takes you to Cairo, Egypt. Melissa read The Last Watchman of Old Cairo and loved it; it wouldn't be on our site if she didn't recommend it.

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