Fesikh: Egypt’s Fermented Mullet and Its Botulism Record
Fesikh (feseekh, faseikh) is whole fish, usually grey mullet, salted without gutting and left to ferment for 15 days to 3 months, eaten in Egypt at Sham el-Nessim…
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Fermented Foods of Middle East and North Africa
Yogurt drinks and cheeses, grain-and-yogurt ferments, pickles and aged butter from Turkey, Iran, the Levant, Iraq, Egypt and Morocco.
Amba Recipe: Fermented Green Mango Sauce With Fenugreek and Turmeric
Amba is a tangy green-mango sauce with fenugreek, turmeric and chilli from Iraqi cooking, now the classic sauce of the Israeli sabich sandwich. To ferment it, salt sliced…
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Bouza Recipe: Egypt’s Thick, Sour Wheat Beer From Lightly Baked Loaves
Bouza is Egypt's thick, sour, yellowish wheat beer. Three-quarters of the wheat is made into thick, very lightly baked loaves, a quarter is sprouted for 3–5 days, dried…
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Shanklish Recipe: Fresh Herb-Coated Cheese Balls From Lebanon and Syria
Shanklish is a Lebanese and Syrian cheese made from fermented yogurt curd, rolled into balls and coated in dried thyme or za'atar and chili. Aged shanklish is mold-ripened…
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Torshi Recipe: Persian Mixed Vegetable Pickle (Torshi Makhloot)
Torshi is the Persian family of sour pickles. Torshi makhloot, the everyday mixed version, combines cauliflower, carrots, celery, eggplant and other vegetables with garlic, tarragon, mint, nigella and…
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Labneh: What It Is and How to Make This Strained Yogurt Cheese at Home
Labneh is yogurt strained until thick and spreadable, between Greek yogurt and cream cheese – no rennet involved. Make it by salting plain live yogurt and draining it…
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Raib: Morocco’s Room-Temperature Fermented Milk (and How It Differs From Yogurt)
Raib is Morocco's fermented whole milk: soft, spoonable and mildly tangy. Studies of traditional raib found mesophilic lactic acid bacteria – Lactococcus lactis and enterococci – so it…
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Smen: North Africa’s Aged Fermented Butter – What It Is and a Careful Home Version
Smen is the salted, aged fermented butter of Morocco and Algeria, used by the spoonful to season couscous and tagines. Traditionally it is churned from spontaneously soured raw…
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Ayran Recipe: How to Make Turkey’s Salty Yogurt Drink
Ayran is Turkey's cold, salty yogurt drink. Whisk equal parts plain yogurt and cold water with a pinch of salt until frothy, and serve it very cold with…
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Doogh Recipe: Iran’s Salty, Minty Yogurt Drink (Still or Sparkling)
Doogh is Iran's cold, savory yogurt drink: blend equal parts plain yogurt and cold water (still or sparkling) with a pinch of salt and crushed dried mint, and…
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Boza Recipe: The Balkan and Turkish Fermented Millet Drink
Boza is a thick, sweet-sour, lightly fizzy fermented grain drink from Turkey and the Balkans. Cook millet (or maize, wheat or rice) into a thin porridge, blend and…
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Kishk: Lebanon’s Fermented Bulgur and Yogurt – What It Is, How to Make It, Kishk Soup
Kishk is a Lebanese staple of bulgur fermented with yogurt for about a week, then sun-dried and rubbed into a sour, savory powder that keeps for months. It's…
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Tarhana: How to Make Turkish Fermented Yogurt and Grain Soup Base
Tarhana is a Turkish pantry food made by fermenting a dough of wheat flour, yogurt, vegetables and spices for one to seven days, then drying and grinding it.…
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