Origin and History - A similar type of cheese has been discovered in the tomb of Hor Aha at S'aqqara dated to the first Dynasty (3200 BC). Until now the MISH has been mainly a farmhouse product. MISH is mainly prepared for family consumption and is partly sold in local markets by women and through retail shops. The old pickling solution becomes thick, with similar composition, colour and flavour to MISH cheese. It is called MISH and consumed as well as the cheese as a staple food by farmers and as appetizer by the rest of the population..
Type - Mish is a soft pickled cheese without rind. Its body is yellowish to brown and has a close texture without eyeholes. It has a sharp and salty taste. Its shape is cylindrical (8-10 cm and 15 cm diameter) with a ridged surface and its weight is 150 to 200 g.
The manufacturing technology is the same as that of Karish cheese. MISH cheese is a Karish cheese ripened by pickling. Karish cheese is usually left for several days in a dry place to drain as much as possible. Then the cheese is rinsed with water and put in layers in earthenware jars called zalaa or ballas. Jars used previously several times for the same purpose are preferred. Salt is sprinkled over each cheese layer in the container which is then filled up with the pickling solution.
The pickling solution consists of:
The container is sealed and placed at ambient temperature for not less than one year.