A juice vendor’s equipment from Egypt

The juice vendor’s equipment, acquired from Egypt in 2001 for the ethnographic collection, tells a story of Cairo’s vibrant urban culture but also about the professions of metalworking, the food industry, mobile street vendors and Egypt’s traditional beverage culture. The profession of a juice vendor is often passed down from father to son, and the drink is typically prepared at home according to a traditional recipe, possibly passed down from one generation to the next.

Juice vendors can be found especially in the Old Cairo area. The vendors move around on foot, carrying drink containers and serving utensils. One of the most traditional drinks is erk sous (also erq sous or erk al-sous), which is made from licorice root. It is considered good for the stomach and thirst-quenching. It is made using the root of the licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which is soaked in water and strained through a cloth. Licorice root has been used in the Middle East and North Africa for centuries to make medicines and drinks, and licorice root drink is thought to date back to ancient Egypt.

The drink is most often served during the hot summer months, and some vendors cool it with ice cubes. Erk sous is especially popular during Ramadan, during which the drink is often used to break the fast. Many other traditional drinks are also made in Egypt, such as sugarcane juice (asab) and tamarind juice (tamar hindi), which is made from the brown, sour, and sweet paste of the tamarind plant.

The vendor’s equipment includes a juice container, water jug, glass rack with straps and a metal musical instrument. The juice container, which is 70 cm tall, is made of tin and has an oval bottom and a lid with a spout. The juice container and water jug feature forged patterns on their surfaces. The glasses used for serving are carried in a curved rack, which is shaped to fit the vendor’s body. The glass rack is tied to the waist with a separate strap. The equipment also includes a percussion instrument consisting of two metal hand cymbals, which the vendor uses to announce their arrival. Customers often recognise a familiar vendor by their unique rhythm.

Juice container, water jug, glass racks, percussion instrument. Photos: Ilari Järvinen, Finnish Heritage Agency.
Juice vendor Yousri A. Youssef. Photo: Heikki Kettunen, Finnish Heritage Agency.

This equipment (VK6340:1–11) was purchased new on 1 February 2001 from a shop in the Giza area of Cairo. The objects were acquired by Heikki Kettunen, who received information about the drink's production and sales traditions from juice vendor Yousri A. Youssef. The information provided related both to the use of the items and, more broadly, to the practice of the profession. A photograph taken by Kettunen of Youssef is preserved in the Finnish Heritage Agency’s photo collection. The set illustrates everyday life in urban Egypt and sheds light on the mobile profession and the related craft and food traditions.

Rania Taina