North Africa · Soup
Shorbat Lesan Asfour (Orzo Pasta and Chicken Broth)
A soothing, golden Egyptian chicken broth loaded with toasted orzo pearls, fragrant cardamom, mastic, and fresh lemon juice.
The story
Across Egypt, Shorbat Lesan Asfour—translating poetically to 'sparrow's tongue soup' due to the grain shape—is the quintessential starter served at Iftar during Ramadan to gently awaken the fasting stomach. The soup is ubiquitous from Alexandria to Aswan, celebrated for its lightness and digestive ease before heavier courses. A subtle technical secret of classical Egyptian home cooks is blooming whole mastic resin in hot samna alongside green cardamom pods, which imparts a velvety mouthfeel and woodsy aroma unique to the country's broth tradition.
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