fish

Living up to its daunting nickname, Fesikh (فِسيخ) is an ancient and traditional Egyptian dish that is actually deadly. The dish is usually prepared for the celebration called Sham el-Nassim or Eid al-Rabiya. The fish can then be served with lemon, green peppers, maybe a salad, bread, or other preferred sides. The fish is thoroughly cleaned and left in the dark in salt and other seasonings for 10-15 days, some recipes call for up to 21 days or even a whole year! It is safe, if done correctly, to eat it raw because the salt prevents rotting and essentially “cooks” the meat. Some countries do fry, roast, or grill it after the salt, but it is more traditionally Egyptian to eat it raw. It is highly advised to not prepare this meal if you are not familiar with it, given the risks.