Where We Started
From the fertile banks of the Nile River, a grandiose civilization flourished, forming a society with sacred rituals of spirituality and a generosity grounded in faith.
For Ancient Egyptians, as in life, so in death, both commoners and kings marked significant moments with lavish feasts. And so in honor of the first edition of Cairo Food Week, and in tribute to Egypt’s culinary heritage, we reimagined a feast fit for the Pharaohs: an ode to a rich history of agriculture and hospitality that translated heirloom ingredients into contemporary dishes.
At the heart of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum, we gathered the greatest culinary, artistic and entrepreneurial minds from Egypt and the world, to celebrate the launch of a novel culinary experience: the very first Cairo Food Week.
A King’s feast, rooted in history, celebrating the future. Conceptualized and curated by Alchemy Experience, hosted by Legacy.
Written by Reem Khamis
“The future of Egypt has to be looking at the past, you know. Sometimes to know what's going to happen in the future, you have to look at the past.”
- Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura
From the moment we stepped into the King’s Feast, we were transported back in time, to the days when natural resources shaped all aspects of life. We entered through papyrus fields that surrounded the ‘LIFELINE OF CIVILIZATION’, a series of reflective installations representing the shimmering water of the Nile. The decorated stairs opened onto the main space where, surrounded by thousands of years of history, and with our spiced drinks in hand, we celebrated the start of a new chapter: ‘BIRTH.’
When We Eat, We Celebrate
In a nod to the hieroglyphs on the walls of ancient temples, hanging canopies of hors d'oeuvres welcomed us into the main hall, with fresh flavors of the past reimagined for the modern day; we sampled qarous (Mediterranean sea bass) battered in beer and seared quail with saffron orzo.
The bespoke cocktails — developed by Hummingbird — paid tribute to the botanical treasures of our past. Our drinks were infused with hibiscus, figs, barley stalks and honey along with warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and anise.
Whereas beer was a staple of daily life, wine — including spiced and honey-sweetened wine — represented prosperity and was featured prominently in celebratory occasions. The bar itself reflected our ancestral architecture: the alabaster counter was adorned with indigenous flowers and papyrus. Rippling water, blooming stems and swaying trees of pomegranates and olives danced to the rhythms set by instrumental artist Balqeis and DJ George Gehad.
“A Right of Passage from Past to Present”
Their sounds carried guests from the open space through a passage of ‘REBIRTH’ and into the main dining hall where we celebrated the ‘AFTERLIFE’ and our future. Set along a 20-meter-long table, an edible museum of historic dishes, recreated from age-old ingredients, was created by Chef Erwan Laurenceau and The Smokery, an intricate display of our rich agricultural history re-invented for the modern day.
A lavish spread of bite-sized food — from breads, butters and cheeses to fowl and beef, fresh fruits and desserts flavored with herbs & spices, sweetened with honey.
Symbolic centerpieces adorned the spread, including chocolate pyramids and raw basalt sculptures of Taweret, the goddess of fertility. The indigenous flowers and papyrus that adorned the parameter, along with the incredibly high ceilings of the museum, formed some kind of magic; it felt like we were enjoying a meal in a lush field on the banks of the Nile, not in an indoor venue in the heart of a big city.
“The indigenous flowers and papyrus that adorned the parameter, along with the incredibly high ceilings of the museum, formed some kind of magic; it felt like we were enjoying a meal in a lush field on the banks of the Nile, not in an indoor venue in the heart of a big city.”
Among the many memorable highlights of the night was the speech delivered by the renowned Italian chef Massimo Bottura, marking the start of CFW and welcoming all the participating chefs: Natsuko Shoji, Gregoire Berger, Mohamed Orfali & Sahar Al Awadhi.
When we eat, we honor our ancestors; we breathe new life into ancient rituals of hospitality. When we eat, we re-learn how to appreciate and embrace what our land has to offer. We re-learn how to take time to enjoy our achievements and celebrate our accomplishments.
“We wanted to connect everything to our culture, it was unique, with this location, with this idea - what if CFW had been done 5,000 years ago?.”
- Mohamed Fares
Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana with Hoda El-Sherif, Founder CFW
Instrumental artist, Balqeis
“As soon as they proposed it to me, I said I don’t care where I’m going to be or what commitment we have, I want to go to Egypt.”
- Chef Massimo Bottura
Sherif Tamim, Founder CFW
