Abu Amr

A bite of history

Koshari originated in the mid-19th century, when Egypt was a multicultural country in a time of enormous economic growth. It was initially intended as a vegetarian dish and consisted of fried onions, lentils, rice, macaroni and a lemon sauce. It's somehow linked to the Italian cuisine, combined with an Indian dish made from rice and lentils, khichdi, but the Egyptian variant has more ingredients and flavors. The local Egyptian sauce in particular gives it its unique taste, which makes the dish extremely popular.
 There are stories about koshari appearing for the first time during the British occupation of Egypt, but over time the dish evolved thanks to Egyptian soldiers and then Egyptian citizens. Koshari was sold on food carts in its early years and later introduced into restaurants. Of course it can also be prepared at home, which is done by many Egyptian families, but it's still usually served at roadside stalls or picked up at restaurants throughout Egypt. Some restaurants are fully specialized in koshari, while others offer it as one of many items.
Traditionally prepared koshari contains no animal products and is therefore completely plant-based :-)