What is fesikh? Why does controversy always erupt in Egypt?
Feseekh is a dish that the Egyptians eat on frequent occasions and during holidays and seasons. Some consider it a “delicious and delicious food”, while others see it as a source of toxins and pungent odors.
Feseekh is a salted mullet fish, which is normally eaten fresh before the salting process, like all other types of fish. The process of turning mullet into feseekh is an important process, because the quality, taste, color and price of the fseekh depends on. e.
Salting goes through several stages: Among them is cleaning the gills of the mullet fish and drying it completely from the water, before filling it with coarse salt, chili, lemon and turmeric, and putting it in empty bags or boxes, and leaving it in these conditions for less than two weeks before its flesh turns pink and is ready to eat.
The local markets saw a noticeable increase in the prices of fesikh and herring in the last few days, as the price of one kilo of fesikh was between 400 and 450 pounds (the US dollar is equal to 47.85 Egyptian pounds), compared to 220 to. 275 pounds last year, an increase of 80 percent. increase in fish prices and production requirements.
Egyptian observers joked about the demand for feseekh, and said: “Some people refuse to eat fresh mullet because its price is about 150 pounds on average, but they buy it when it is salted and It has a strong smell and its price is around 500 pounds.”
Feseekh always raises controversy in Egypt and takes place in the conversations of Egyptians and other residents of the Arab region with the eating seasons, and although some cannot tolerate its pungent smell, they like it to eat their flesh at the same time.
Dr. Saeed Sadiq, professor of sociology, believes that “fesikh is an excellent Egyptian brand, and a true Egyptian tradition, which always raises controversy, despite the fact that people in the Scandinavian countries also eat salted fish, and are considered among them the richest and richest people.”
The city of Nabaruh is one of the salting centers of Al-Fesikh (AFP)
Sadiq expresses his complaint that some people joke about fesikh and other dietary patterns in Egypt He says: “Whoever does not like eating a certain type of food should go and eat whatever he wants, but he must respect the cultures and customs of others. “. gives his opinion on the other side, and an annual debate takes place in a context that is sometimes painful about these practices.” as he put it.
In popular regional discussions, which are not without humor, some use Fesikh as a tool to criticize Egyptian food culture by saying that it has a “pungent smell”.
Egyptians are very popular with fesikh during the seasons of Eid al-Fitr and Sham El-Nessim, but according to Khaled al-Sayyid, head of the General Authority for Fisheries Resources, the markets have been witnessing a state of stagnation due to the recent increase in fish prices. .
Despite frequent warnings from the Egyptian Ministry of Health about eating fesikh and herring; Especially for those with chronic diseases, many Egyptians ignore these warnings out of “Leave it to God,” “Whoever has a share in something will see it,” and “No the hour of fortune can be substituted.”
Cinematic works, including the film “Black Honey,” by the artist Ahmed Helmy, used this paradox. In one scene, he seemed to be disturbed by its strong smell before eating the fesikh and expressing his good appreciation for its taste.
Egyptian bloggers and YouTubers recently competed to shine a light on the pink colored “fesikh food”, appearing in clips that are admired by thousands and consumed with great passion and love.
Feseekh prices rise in the season “Sham El Nessim” (Middle East)
The celebration of “Sham El-Nessim” goes back to the ancient Egyptians, who considered the spring season, called “Shammu”, the most important of these seasons, which they awaited with joy and happily there was a ceremony at the beginning, and they held religious and popular celebrations on this occasion.
“Shammu” was the season in which plants grew, due to the cold weather in the spring, and the ancient Egyptians saw the beginning of this season of the year as a symbol of rebirth and life.
“Sham el-Nessim” was also a religious holiday, and an opportunity to draw closer to the gods by offering sacrifices that included salted fish, lettuce, onions, and malana (green chickpeas ), which are foods associated with that day. past and present.
The city of Nabaruh (Delta of Egypt) is one of the most famous strongholds of the fesikh industry in Egypt. Many people go there every year to buy fesikh and other salted fish.
The ancient Egyptians knew about Feseekh more than 4,000 years ago, according to the Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who confirmed, in previous reports, that the center of Feseekh, or salted fish, was among the Pharaohs in Esna. the south of the country.
Hawass said: “In our archaeological finds, we found traces that prove that the ancient Egyptians used to salt fish to prolong their eating life and so that workers could eat while while they were working.”
