Fried Catch · Harbor Street Food
Samak Mekli (Fried Fish & Chips)
Photo: HGGI 777 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Benghazi's fish stalls sell catches under names as colorful as the fish themselves — murjan (emperor bream) and kalb el bahr, literally 'sea dog' (dogfish).
Whole small fish and sardines are fried until crisp and served heaped with fried potatoes and a squeeze of lemon, sometimes alongside a harissa dip. It's a staple of Benghazi's harbor-side stalls, where the catch goes straight from boat to fryer.
Why it's made this way: As Cyrenaica's main port, Benghazi built its street-food culture around what its fishing fleet lands each morning — quick-fried fish remains the city's everyday answer to fast food.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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Photo credits.