I saw him by a lucky chance, as was coming into a local fruit and vegetable market in downtown Cairo, bearing gifts of the Delta. He was wheeling two large sacks of freshly gathered fuul akhdar, green broad (or fava) beans, the first crop of the season. Their growing season in the winter is relatively short, although fuul is consumed daily by many Egyptians for the rest of the year. Most of the crop of beans are dried and are soaked and then cooked according to taste, especially for breakfast. But these beans straight for the fields were small and very tender, and quite delicious raw and cooked. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are one of Egypt's many attractions. Not having some fruit and vegetables all the year round enhances the pleasure of going into a market and finding a new crop has hit the stalls and shops. In Upper Egypt in the 1990s, there may have been less choice than there is now, but this was compensated for by the exuberant displays. And in Egypt, seasonal fruits can also be localised, as there are both differences and similarities between what thrives, for example in the south, the desert oases, the Delta, the coastal north and Sinai. In the south, especially in Aswan, there are two fruits in particular that, in my opinion, outrival any of their families found elsewhere in Egypt. Both tend to be grown on a small scale and are also small in size, found in a single basket on a stall rather than in the general display. One is a purple fig, usually still closed even when ripe, and the other is a guava, with a blush to its skin and a surprise inside of sweet pink flesh. Similarly, to the north, the distinctively shaped Sinai peach is also small and exquisite. And if you come from Britain where the strawberry season is in the summer, how you relish the strawberries in Egypt, which are at their best and most abundant in the winter months! Although there is a thriving tradition in Britain, but I am not sure how well it would transplant to Egypt and that is ‘Pick Your Own!' Growers, particularly of strawberries and other soft fruits, invite you into their fields to pick your own fruit in containers they provide. They are weighed and you pay for what you have picked, and, no doubt, built into the price is the cost of what you have consumed while going about your task. Another thriving wintry crop in Egypt is the citrus fruit, of which the gleaming navel oranges are found dominating the market stalls, often accompanying great stalks of bananas. Other citrus fruits of the winter have shorter and different seasons, often beginning with the deep orange thin-skinned clementines and the similar in colour mandarins, but with thicker skin, and equally fragrant. They are soon followed by the ubiquitous Yousfy (Youssef Effendi), a tangerine or satsuma. An informed colleague has just enlightened me on the origin of the name Youssef Effendi. He was agricultural adviser in the 19th century to Mohamed Ali Pasha, who was an enthusiast of exotic plants and fruits, which he brought to Egypt. Mohamed Ali received a gift of a basket of tangerines, together with other foreign fruits and vegetables, which he challenged his agricultural adviser to grow. Youssef Effendi's success was such that he was commemorated by Mohamed Ali giving his name to what became a commercial and popular success. All of these citrus fruits can be found in other countries, but unique to Egypt is its little lemon. Or is it a lime? I have found references to lime lemons by equally bemused admirers. Whatever, already sweet and fragrant when green, it will ripen into yellow, and unparalleled by other lemons. As we come into spring and the winter fruits decline we have many others to enjoy during the coming seasons, including apples, apricots, peaches and grapes and ��" what is the favourite of many Egyptians ��" the mango, in all its varieties. But whatever your individual preference, we all share the same joy when our choice first appears in the market, which more than compensates for its absence. Faraldi has lived in Upper Egypt and then Cairo, since 1991, working in higher education and as a researcher, writer and editor.
