Cairo: For Egyptians, life is a bowl of ful - article about Ful Vendors

This article is about the difficulties of being a Ful vendor in Cairo. Ful is a fava bean stew that is a staple of the working class diet of many in the Middle East. It is tasty healthful and filling. A bowl of Ful coast about 20 cents. There are ‘cat and mouse’ games that Ful vendors have to engage in with local police but vendors and the economics of Ful vending persist in spite of this.

Below are some quotes from the article:

“As long as I keep a low profile, they don’t bother me. … The police have forced him to move many times and have even confiscated his cart. But it is hard to keep a really low profile when the food is good and the prices are cheap.�

"…His cart is a bit battered, a metal hulk he hauls to and from home every day behind an equally battered yellow pickup truck. He has five children, and employs his younger brother Muhammad, who ladles out the steaming ful. And he says they all survive on about $2.50 a day, at best. …"

“There is still a great deal of popular demand for the ful cart — especially in agricultural, working-class and lower-income districts,� said Dr. Malak Rouchdy, a professor of sociology at the American University in Cairo."

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