United Arab Emirates
Emirate of Sharjah
Dibba Al-Hisn Municipal Council
Inventory of cultural heritage
(2) Al-ḡashaᾱ
The sea has always been generous to the people of Dibba Al-Hisn city, providing them with a lot of graces and blessings. We find that its people have exploited and used all its goods to match the nature of their lives. They have used all its goods to make both winter and summer food supplies, as the people of Dibba Al-Hisn city relied on the simplest materials in order to provide them with the nutrients that their bodies need, for them the sea was a fruitful tree throughout the year.
Once the winter arrived, the fish return to the warm coasts to reproduce, bringing seasons rich in various delicious and diverse types of fish of all sizes, so that the presence of large fish on the coast coincides with the reproductive of small Al-Barriyah fish, which are its main food. The fishermen’s nets are filled with Al-Barriyah fish when they practice fishing using “Daghwa” way. Al-Barriyah fish got such name due to their proximity to land, allowing fishermen to exploit these quantities by drying and canning them for the next seasons. Those who practice this profession mention that “Al-ḡashaᾱ” is the name given to the Al-Barriyah fish after they have been dried, and it is one of the best types of preserving and canning fish locally, which allows the fish to be used for a period exceeding two years if properly preserved.
The Al-Barriyah fish, characterized by their bright silver color and delicious taste, are widespread in Dibba Al Hisn city on the coast of the Sea of Oman in the northeastern region of Sharjah, attracting sea inhabitants thereto. The silver float Al-Barriyah fish, which has a scent that attracts large fish, is one of the most important fishing means used by fishermen, as large fish find food in the Al-Barriyah fish. Large quantities of Al-Barriyah – thousands of kilograms – are collected on every fishing trip, and after being dried on the beach by the heat of the sun, they are packed in special plastic bags. Al-Barriyah fish also known as ” Al-ḡashaᾱ “, are small in size and does not exceed 5 cm in length, they have a bright color, they are sold in bags (each bag contains about 10 kg, priced at about AED 22). During the seasons when the Al-Barriyah fish are reproduced, fishermen throw their fishing nets with small holes from the boat into the sea to catch them, and continue for hours, then they are dried quickly because of their small size, and the salt sprinkled thereon – without the need to cut open their gut and clean them – they are dried on the coast and eaten like Al-Barriyah. Al-Barriyah fish has many fishing methods differing from one fisherman to another. The popular traditional method is by dragging the nets and pulling them from the sea to the shore. Al-Barriyah fishes have various benefits for humans, plants and animals. Al-Barriyah fishes have numerous benefits as it is food for us, we dry, salt, and eat them in different meals, such as grinding and keeping them ground until cooked with garlic and oil. Some people put it in a bowl after seasoning it with galan, cumin, sinot, and Anise seeds, to eat it by tortilla bread. Al-Barriyah fish was also used as useful medicine, by burning over the fire some of them with dried lemon, then placed on a piece of cloth for a sick of cold to inhale, several birds, including seagulls, as well as kingfish and other fish, also feed thereon. In addition to being animal feed, mixing it with date seeds and alfalfa is useful for most livestock, especially cows. It is also reasonable fertilizer for fertilizing agricultural lands, as it is cut, pounded, and scattered as seed under palm buckthorn, ghaf, and other fruit trees.
The production of “Al-ḡashaᾱ” depends on spreading or resting the small fish as soon as they come out of the sea on a mat made of straw or nylon for a period ranging from two to three days, according to the severity of the sunlight, to ensure that they are dried properly with continuous turning over to prevent spoilage when canning. Then, they are packed in small bags not exceeding 50 cm and sold at prices that may reach AED 120 per bag, depending on the production quality and cleanliness from dust. It is known as “Al-ḡashaᾱ” because it is dispersing which literally means removing the dust after Al-ḡashaᾱ being dried. The quality of the product depends on its cleanliness and small size. The smaller and lighter- colored the Al-Barriyah fish are, the more expensive and tastier they are.
Three sizes of Al-Barriyah fish are included in the “Al-ḡashaᾱ” season. The season starts and ends with medium-sized, reddish fish which are mostly used as animals feed or fertilizer for plants. The small, whitish fish, come in the middle of the season and are distinguished by their delicious taste and quality.
“Al-ḡashaᾱ” fishes contribute to strengthening social bonds, once “Al-ḡashaᾱ” season arrived, the main work practiced by women and neighbors in their gatherings in the neighborhoods “Al-Furjan” where women carry “Al-ḡashaᾱ” containers with them to have fun with their neighbors by cutting or picking the heads of small fish to clean and prepare them to make” Al-Sehnah” dish, which involves retaining the small fish trunk and then grinding it in “pestle” with the addition of some optional flavors, such as black pepper and “Sanout” (cumin), to give it the desired taste.
The innovation of “Sehnah”, which is powdered dried “Al-ḡashaᾱ” fish, was used as a meal for the people of Dibba Al-Hisn city, to exploit all of sea resources in the first place, to provide them with food on the journeys and long travel trips when fresh fish is not available. Furthermore, it came as a result of diversifying the provision of seafood dishes, which was their main source of food, which made them creative with special fish industries and flavors. “Sehnah” is one of such delicious dishes that is eaten with white rice, lemon, and natural ghee.
“Sehnah” is also known as Anchovy or Anchoa, it is caught by a special type of net using a special way known as “Fattening”, and dried under the sunlight, then ground into powder by a process known as “grinding”, where it gets its name “Sehnah” a travel food, eaten with white rice and natural ghee.
The people of Dibba Al-Hisn city are specialized in this dish compared to other UAE people, as they are distinguished in its preparation and serving on their tables. Some eat “Sehnah” dry with rice and lemon, while others serve it as a sauce by adding “Sehnah” powder to warm water and seasoning it by various spices flavors.