Why Egyptians are being asked to eat chicken feet

“Oh God, don’t let us get to the point of having to eat chicken feet,” says a man begging alongside the poultry sellers in Giza market.

Egypt is facing a deepening economic crisis, a situation so acute its people are struggling to feed their families.

The latest nutritional advice from the state suggested cooking up some chicken feet – a protein-rich part of the bird usually reserved as scraps for dogs and cats.

This recommendation has sparked anger and intensified criticism of the government.

Many countries are battling soaring inflation but running at just over 30% in March, Egypt is one of those suffering the most.

For many people, items that were previously basic staples such as cooking oil and cheese have become unaffordable luxuries. Some products have doubled or tripled in price within months.

“I eat meat once a month, or I don’t buy it at all. I buy chicken once a week,” says Wedad, a mother-of-three in her sixties, as she picks her way through the stalls. “Nowadays, even one egg is sold for LE5 [US $0.16; £0.13].”

Part of the reason Egypt is struggling is it relies very heavily on imported food rather than domestic agriculture to feed its huge population of over 100 million people.

Even the grain to feed its chickens is shipped in.

Over 12 months last year the Egyptian pound lost half its value versus the US dollar. So in January, when the government devalued the currency again, this pushed the cost of imports like grain sharply higher.