A fermented fish paste with a powerful smell, used in small amounts to season stews. It is made from fish of the Nile and its reservoirs, salted and left to break down into a paste that keeps without refrigeration.
It is a long low-acid ferment of raw fish held sealed at ambient temperature — the exact conditions Clostridium botulinum needs — and the salt ratio that prevents it is measured, not tasted.
What goes into it
- Nile fish
- coarse salt in quantity
How it is made
The fish is gutted, salted heavily and packed into a sealed container, then left in the warm for weeks while its own enzymes and salt-tolerant bacteria reduce the flesh to a paste. The salt concentration is the only barrier to what else could grow, and it is judged by weight against the fish.
How long it takes: several weeks to months
How it is eaten
A spoonful stirred into mulah and vegetable stews, where it dissolves.
History
Made from fish of the Nile and its reservoirs, salted and left to break down into a paste that keeps without refrigeration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Terkeen?
Terkeen is a fermented & pickled from Sudan: fermented fish paste with a powerful smell, used in small amounts to season stews. Made from fish of the Nile and its reservoirs, salted and left to break down into a paste that keeps without refrigeration.
How is Terkeen made?
The fish is gutted, salted heavily and packed into a sealed container, then left in the warm for weeks while its own enzymes and salt-tolerant bacteria reduce the flesh to a paste. The salt concentration is the only barrier to what else could grow, and it is judged by weight against the fish. It takes several weeks to months.
Can I make Terkeen at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a long low-acid ferment of raw fish held sealed at ambient temperature — the exact conditions Clostridium botulinum needs — and the salt ratio that prevents it is measured, not tasted.
What goes into Terkeen?
Nile fish, coarse salt in quantity.
How is Terkeen eaten?
A spoonful stirred into mulah and vegetable stews, where it dissolves.
