Mahyawa (or Mahyaweh) is a traditional fermented
fish sauce made primarily from dried, salted
anchovies (known in
Bahrani Arabic as "matoot") which are less than 10 cm in length, and a blend of aromatic spices. The fish should ideally be sun-dried, with heads removed before grinding into a fine powder. The spice mix typically includes
coriander seeds (toasted until slightly browned),
fennel or
anise seeds (حبه حلوه),
cumin (ground), and
mustard seeds (which can be added whole or ground). Some versions also include
coarse salt,
white vinegar,
lemon juice, and
water to help ferment the mixture. To prepare it, mix 1 kg of dried anchovy fish with about 250g each of coriander, anise, and mustard seeds, 1 cup of ground cumin, 2 cups of coarse salt, 1 cup of white vinegar, ½ cup of lemon juice, and around 3 litters of water. Heat the liquid ingredients with the salt until hot (without boiling), then add the ground fish and spices. Stir for about 7 minutes, then let it cool. Pour the mixture into a jar, cover with a clean cloth and loose lid, and leave it to ferment in the sun for 2–3 weeks, stirring with a wooden spoon every few days. Once fermentation is complete, store it in a cool place. Mahyawa can vary slightly in ingredients depending on regional or family traditions—some recipes may favor fennel over anise, or use different ratios of spices. It is typically served on top of a wafer thin crispy
flat bread local
Saj bread (known as
Regag) or Tumushi, and
Falazi. ==References==