Mish

Mish is a spiced, mature cheese from Egypt. Techniques for producing mish-type cheese date back to at least 3200 B.C.E first dynasty Egyptians.

Today, Egyptian families still make mish from scratch with each family having its own recipe. It can also be bought ready made in stores and is widely eaten as a side dish.

Traditionally, mish is aged in clay pots for months or years to acquire its unique salty, tangy flavour. It is usually made using buffalo or cow’s milk, peppers, red pepper, salt, and spices. Mish starts life as arish, or karish, a young cheese, which is then submerged in buttermilk, fresh milk, whey, and spices then left to ferment. An older portion of mish is added as a starter culture to boost fermentation. When ripe, mish takes on a brownish hue and has a distinctive pungent aroma.

We bought our mish from Greenfields in central London.