Mish vs Shanklish
Mish
Facts
- Texture
- Semi-soft
- Type
- Brined
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Egypt
Mish is a sharp, salty cheese from Egypt. It begins as a fresh curd cheese that is packed into a brine of salted milk or buttermilk with spices and left to ferment. The ripe cheese turns yellowish brown and tastes pungent, with a heat from pepper and a strong salty edge. Rural households have long used it as a staple with bread, and many people also serve a little of it as an appetizer. It is an aged pickled cheese, not a fresh white cheese.
Shanklish
Facts
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Syria
Shanklish is a traditional cheese from Syria, and it is also a familiar food across the Levant. Makers drain a fermented curd, salt it heavily, and roll it into small balls that dry and age. The finished balls are firm and crumbly, with a coat of thyme, za'atar, or hot pepper. Young pieces taste tangy and fresh, while older pieces turn sharp, salty, and very pungent. You eat them crumbled, usually with tomato, onion, and olive oil.