Sayadieh

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.

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. It is a staple of coastal cities in the Arab world.

The word sayadieh is derived from the Arabic word sayad (صياد), meaning "fisherman".

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. 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.

Sayadieh is a common dish in the coastal cities of the Levant on the Mediterranean sea, as well as Aqaba, Jordans only coastal city. It is often paired with Levantine tarator sauce.

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.

In the Gaza Strip, traditional sayadiyya is made using sea bass or guitarfish, but any white fish may be used. Some verions of Palestinian sayadieh are made into a "maqluba" by layering it with vegetables and onions then flipping upside down.

In Egyptian cuisine, coastal cities like Alexandria and Port Said make variations of this dish as a fish chorba served next to rice.