Egyptian mish cheese
February 3, 2014 • Category: Eggs/Dairy/Cheese
I was gifted a unique and homemade Egyptian mish cheese from Salah, an Egyptian farmer who recently returned from a visit to his family’s farm in Mansoura, Egypt; the cheese is called mish and is sharp, pungent and salty; Salah told me that President George Bush senior, upon his arrival to Egypt a few years back, had requested it and (apparently) really likes it.
Mish is made from buffalo’s milk and in their farm, there are about forty buffaloes from which they get milk, cream (ashta)-the best cream in the world-, cheese, and of course meat on occasion. Mish is fermented in whey for a long time, in fact, it is also called old cheese (jibneh qadima); the way to eat it according to Salah is grated with tomatoes and onions.
On a side note, according to Charles Perry, halloumi cheese originated in Egypt; in fact, it is the word for fresh cheese in the Coptic language (and the Copts were the original inhabitants of Egypt); this bit of cheese trivia surprised me, as I always thought halloumi was from Cyprus originally.
I am afraid you (and I) are not likely to find this mish in our neighborhood supermarket. It is authentic Egyptian peasant fare and goes back most probably to the times of the Pharaohs or Cleopatra (I wonder if she liked it).
Comments
18 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
That is an interesting cheese. It must taste wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
On February 3, 2014 at 10:52 am
Nadege says:
Reading you blog makes me aware of so many wonderful meals, ingredients… I don’t know anything about. This cheese looks really appetizing!
On February 3, 2014 at 2:22 pm
PJ says:
I love any vegetarian food from Egypt. I usually prepare them at home as we do not have ethic restaurants here
The cheese sounds very intersting . Would love to eat this cheese and one day when I visit Egypt I will try this for sure 🙂
On February 3, 2014 at 9:06 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
How fortunate you are!
On February 4, 2014 at 4:36 am
perla massoud says:
hello ! lovely photos !
I would love to introduce you to a website that I found not too long ago . I’m sure you will love it :))
here’s the link
http://www.nogarlicnoonions.com/category/tasty-discoveries/page/4/
On February 4, 2014 at 5:18 am
Joumana says:
@perla; it turns out I know the mother of the man who owns the site! she is married to one of my mom’s relative, so I am sure I will get to meet him at some point; thanks for your thought 🙂
On February 4, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Elena says:
Joumana, what it’s like a taste of this cheese?
On February 5, 2014 at 2:54 am
Joumana says:
@Elena: It is very sharp, dry, like a Parmesan, except sharper.
On February 5, 2014 at 4:04 am
perla massoud says:
oh really ! what a coincidence !! 🙂
this man is doing an amazing job by posting these photos and articles ! would love to meet him too 🙂
have a great day
On February 5, 2014 at 6:34 am
sami says:
my mother has mish that is older than me, and i am 57. i took a small jar many years ago and started my own. i never open the new “Mish” jars before 3 years. it is exceptionl except for the smell. Sprinkle hot red peppers to prevent the formation of worms. i also add Tangerine peal for flavor and aroma. the longer it stays closed the better the outcome.
On May 21, 2017 at 12:33 am
Joumana Accad says:
@sami: So interesting! I will have to ask my Egyptian farmer friend about this~sounds like the Chinese and their 1000-year old eggs!
On May 28, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Lauren Campbell says:
How can I make it?
On March 20, 2021 at 7:01 pm
Joumana Accad says:
@Lauren Campbell I am not sure how it is made, Lauren! Sorry
On March 25, 2021 at 10:49 pm
Mona says:
I have some mish from a local arab market – its nothing like my mom’s jar from childhood, but i want to add to it and grow my own just like mom did. Since i have a starter batch can i just add new cheeses to it? Or do i have to do more to sanitize it? I love mish!
On June 22, 2023 at 11:26 am
Joumana Accad says:
@Mona I wish I knew the answer but I am no expert on this cheese! Maybe you could find an Egyptian blogger or youtuber who would know how to do it!
On June 24, 2023 at 3:24 am
Joe L says:
Being coptic I love mish!
My father in law had a tin of fetta cheese that was forgotten in the shed. Long story short, ten years later… mish.
There is actually another tin that I have been meaning to bust open. Fingers crossed. 17 years on!
Mish is kind of like sourdough in that it develops from the cultures in the cheese mix in over years. Here in Aust. we often add a little vegemite to as a starter or booster.
On May 24, 2020 at 3:11 am
Big Daddy says:
I found this today at (coincidentally since it is mentioned above) a neighborhood supermarket (full disclosure it is a neighborhood supermarket in a predominately muslim section of town)–and I had to try it. Very unique. Huge umami flavor and strangly addictive. Overwhelmingly salty. Not palatable to eat straight due to salt content. Will try sprinkling on fresh tomatoes. I have a huge tub of it so need to figure out something!
On June 17, 2022 at 9:40 pm
Joumana Accad says:
@Big Daddy
Unbelievable find! OK you can eat it on bread with tomatoes, onions, and some chopped herbs like parsley or cilantro. You can also sprinkle it on fuul mudammas. or any other way to use cheese such as scrambled eggs or even a salad like a Caesar.
On June 25, 2022 at 2:13 am