Sayadieh
 |
 Seasoned fish served over rice and garnished with pine nuts | |
| Course | Main dish |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Middle East |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | White fish such as cod or haddock, cumin, onion, rice, baharat, pine nuts |
Sayadieh (Arabic: صيادية) is a seasoned fish and rice dish from the Middle East, made with cumin and other spices, as well as fried onions. The spice mix is called baharat in Arabic and its preparation varies from cook to cook but may include caraway, cinnamon, cumin and coriander.[1][2][3]
Historically, it was a fisherman's meal originating on the Mediterranean coast of Syria and Lebanon, but the dish can now be found throughout the Middle East.[4] It is a staple of coastal cities in the Arab world.[5]
Etymology
[edit]The word sayadieh is derived from the Arabic word sayad (صياد), meaning "fisherman".[5]
Preparation
[edit]Several variants of the meal exist, but most variants involve a sauce prepared with fried onions. Depending on the degree of caramelization the sauce can range from light brown to a deep black with a strong, pungent taste. The rice is often colored by cooking it with caramelized onion. The dish can be made with a variety of fishes, but usually firm, white fishes, such as haddock or cod are preferred.[6] Entire fishes are used, and the fish head and bones are often used to produce stock and flavor the rice and the sauce. The dish is garnished with slivered almonds and toasted pine nuts, as well as fried onions.[7]
Regional Variations
[edit]Levant
[edit]Sayadieh is a common dish in the coastal cities of the Levant on the Mediterranean sea, as well as Aqaba, Jordans only coastal city.[8][9] It is often paired with Levantine tarator sauce.[10][8]
In the coastal cities of Jaffa, Akka, and Haifa, sayyadiyeh is a "favorite" and is traditionally made by pan-frying whatever fish is caught in the day and plating it next to rice.[11][12]
In the Gaza Strip, traditional sayadiyya is made using sea bass or guitarfish, but any white fish may be used.[13][14] Some verions of Palestinian sayadieh are made into a "maqluba" by layering it with vegetables and onions then flipping upside down.[14][15][16][9]
Egypt
[edit]In Egyptian cuisine, coastal cities like Alexandria and Port Said make variations of this dish as a fish chorba served next to rice.[17][18][19]
In Popular Culture
[edit]World Records
[edit]In 2019, the world record for largest serving of sayadieh was set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to Guinness World Records, it weighed over 600 kilograms and was set by Hussein Sallam.[20][21][22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Sayadieh". Food. 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Barramundi, cumin and coriander sayadieh". Food. 25 May 2017.
- ^ Khairunnisa, Savitry (2020-03-16). Kelana Rasa Mancanegara - 80 Resep Hidangan Praktis dan Halal Dari 5 benua Hits di Instagram (in Indonesian). Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-602-06-3873-7.
- ^ Gorsky, Fatih. An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flare. Tuttle.
- ^ a b "إسبانية أم عربية.. هل يجزم التاريخ أصل الصيادية؟" [Spanish or Arabic...Does history confirm the origin of Sayyadiya?]. CNN Arabic (in Arabic). 20 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ Amari, Suad. Cooking the Lebanese Way. Lerner Publications Company.
- ^ Kassis, Reem (23 October 2017). The Palestinian Table. Phaidon Press. ISBN 978-0-7148-7496-8. Retrieved 29 Oct 2025.
- ^ a b "بعد انقطاع بسبب كورونا.. صيادو العقبة يعودون للبحر والسنارة" [After a hiatus due to the coronavirus, Aqaba fishermen return to the sea and their fishing rods.]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic). 8 May 2020. Archived from the original on 23 Mar 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ a b Karapetyan, Ani (30 July 2024). "Sayadieh: The Classic Fish and Rice Dish Of the Levant". Arab America. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "Salsat al-tarator | Traditional Sauce From Syria". Taste Atlas. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "Sayadieh (Jaffa-Style Fish Over Rice) Recipe". Asif Culinary Institute. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ Tamimi, Sami; Wigley, Tara (16 June 2020). Falastin: A Cookbook. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. ISBN 978-0-399-58174-8.
- ^ "Gazan Cuisine". This Week in Palestine. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ a b El-Haddad, Laila M.; Schmitt, Maggie (2016). The Gaza kitchen: a Palestinian culinary journey (Second ed.). Charlottesville, Virginia: Just World Books. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-68257-008-1. Retrieved 29 Oct 2025.
- ^ "Sayadieh (Upside Down Fish & Shrimp Rice Pilaf)". Edible Seattle Magazine. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ ""المقلوبة" الفلسطينية.. أكلة تاريخية عابرة للحدود" [Palestinian "Maqluba"... a historic dish that transcends borders]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic). 3 Aug 2019. Archived from the original on 23 Jan 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "«صيادية السمك» أشهر الأكلات الرمضانية بدمياط.. «السر في الصنعة»" ["Fish Sayadeya" is one of Damietta's most popular Ramadan dishes. "The secret is in the craftsmanship."]. El Watan News (in Arabic). 31 March 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "من المطبخ الشعبي.. طريقة تحضير سمك الصيادية البورسعيدي" [From folk cooking... How to prepare Port Said Sayadeya fish]. Masrawy (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "الصيادية..أكلة من مئات السنين يصنعها باحترافية أهالى عروس المتوسط.. صور" [Sayadieh: A dish dating back hundreds of years, expertly prepared by the people of the Mediterranean]. Youm7 (in Arabic). 17 August 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Guinness World Records has great expectations for Saudi titles milestone". Arab News. 25 Sep 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "From fireworks to supersized sayadieh: Five incredible Saudi Arabian records". Guinness World Records. 17 Sep 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "An ocean of food as 600 kg dish made up of fish, rice and onions is served up". Guinness World Records. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
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