Shrimp Kofta: The Dish Port Said Made from the Small Shrimp

In Port Said, some dishes were created for restaurants. Others were created at home.

Shrimp kofta belongs to the second kind — a dish that never came out of a chef's kitchen. It came out of a fisherman's net and a home cook who knew how to turn something simple into a plate people still ask for by name.

This article tells the story: where shrimp kofta came from, how it is made, and how it became one of Port Said's best-known home dishes.

It started on the boat

Years ago, when the fishermen of Port Said came back with shrimp, the first thing they did was sort it by size.

The large shrimp was sold. The small shrimp the fishermen divided among themselves. The big catch was the boat's income — the small one went home.

The women of the house changed the game

Small shrimp tastes good, but peeling it and eating it as it is isn't practical.

That is where the home cooks of Port Said found the answer: they invented shrimp kofta. Mince the shrimp with herbs, shape it into small fingers, then fry it in oil or cook it in tomato sauce.

And just like that, the shrimp nobody was selling became a dish with a name, a taste and a method.

From then on, shrimp kofta became a Port Said staple — passed down through generations, with almost every household keeping its own version.

So what makes shrimp kofta different?

The secret is in the idea itself:

• The shrimp is minced, so every bite carries the full shrimp flavour, with no shell and no effort.
• The herbs are minced with it, giving the kofta its aroma and its colour.
• The shape is small fingers, so it cooks quickly and stays tender inside.

That is why you find it on the table as a main course, and just as often as a starter or in a sandwich — a dish that works with everything.

Shrimp kofta at El Marakby in Jeddah

At El Marakby we make shrimp kofta on exactly the idea the women of Port Said started with: shrimp minced with herbs, shaped into fingers. We serve it in tomato sauce, the way Port Said homes make it.

The only difference is that a dish which was once home cooking now comes out of the El Marakby kitchen — for anyone craving the taste of Port Said while sitting in Jeddah.

From the small shrimp to a signature plate

The best part of the shrimp kofta story is that it began with something nobody would sell, and ended as a dish people ask for by name.

If you want to taste a dish that came straight out of the homes of Port Said, come to El Marakby and try shrimp kofta for yourself.

The taste of Port Said — at a table in Jeddah.