Fesikh
Egypt's notorious fermented mullet
Think of it as: Like anchovies that have been keeping secrets for 45 days
A spring tradition that requires real courage.
What does it taste like?
Intensely salty and pungent; beloved by the brave.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureSoft and pasty
What is it?
Grey mullet salted and left to ferment and dry for weeks. Egyptians eat it on the spring festival Sham el-Nessim, a custom dating back to the pharaohs. Botulism cases make headlines almost every year.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Eaten on Sham el-Nessim with bread, lemon, onions and spring onions.
Watch it
EnglishTap to play (YouTube)Where is it from?
🇪🇬Egypt
CapitalCairo
Populationabout 120 millionestimate (unverified)
IndustriesTourism, Suez Canal, Natural gas, Farming (cotton)
Famous peopleCleopatra VIIThe last queen of ancient EgyptNaguib MahfouzWriter who won the Nobel Prize in Literature
HelloAssalamu alaikum (Arabic)
CurrencyEgyptian pound
And JapanThe Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza was built with Japan's help.
Fun factAlmost everyone lives along the Nile, which makes up only about 5% of the country.
The flag🇪🇬 Red is the revolution, white is peace, and black is hard times, with the Eagle of Saladin in the middle.
From Tokyoabout 9,560 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Cairo
Getting thereabout 14 hours from Tokyo (direct)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeOctober to April, when the heat eases, is best. Also tryFul medamesMolokhia soupTa'ameya More from here🍝 Koshary
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeOctober to April, when the heat eases, is best. Also tryFul medamesMolokhia soupTa'ameya More from here🍝 Koshary
🇪🇬 Sounds & life in Egypt
أهلاًHello（Assalamu alaikum (Arabic)）
Arabic script
Arabic script
Right now…
Anthem"My Homeland" (Bilady, Bilady, Bilady)
MusicClassical Arabic song (tarab) Ornamented songs that can last an hour each
Listen on YouTube SportSoccer
Mohamed Salah (soccer; Liverpool's star) World HeritageMemphis and its Necropolis (the Pyramid Fields from Giza) and more National animalEagle of Saladin National flowerLotus (water lily) FestivalEid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan; the date changes each year)
MusicClassical Arabic song (tarab) Ornamented songs that can last an hour each
Listen on YouTube SportSoccer
Mohamed Salah (soccer; Liverpool's star) World HeritageMemphis and its Necropolis (the Pyramid Fields from Giza) and more National animalEagle of Saladin National flowerLotus (water lily) FestivalEid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan; the date changes each year)
Ingredients
- 5 grey mullet
- Lots of coarse salt
Can't find it? Not available outside Egypt and its communities.
How to make it (one way)
- Sun-dry the fish briefly
- Pack them whole in plenty of salt
- Seal in a container to ferment
- Leave about 45 days
- Serve with lemon and onion
⚠️ Fesikh has caused fatal botulism. Never make it at home.