After days of dust filling the air, the sky cleared and a series of sunny days heralded the arrival of spring. Temperatures are rising but still pleasant and there is a crisp feel in the end of the breeze, which reassures that the heat of summer is still a little down the road.

Spring also brings new smells to the city; the first batches of seasonal fruits like plums, peaches and apricots are appearing in stores and in upmarket areas, and the occasional box of black berries can be found.

On the wooden carts of the vegetable sellers along the Nile the smell of the produce is different. It is aromatic and unmistakable, as this year’s harvest of one of the most important ingredients in Egyptian cuisine is abundant: the fresh garlic has arrived.