A priest from Heliopolis described it as a food to eat after fasting on the 11th day of Pachons, a month in the ancient Egyptian calendar.

[7] In 1853, in his book "Journey to Egypt and the Hijaz", explorer Richard Burton documented koshary as the breakfast meal of the people of Suez.

[10] As traditionally prepared koshary does not contain any animal products, it can be considered vegan, as long as all frying uses vegetable oil.

[13] The dish is served in Japanese carts[clarification needed] and has some additions added on top of the original recipe.

Nontraditional ingredients, which are not typically found in Egyptian recipes, are basil chicken, raw tomatoes, sour cream, fried eggs, Cheddar sauce, avocado slices, and spicy powder with jalapeño.