Fried Catch · Harbor Street Food
Samak Mekli (Fried Fish & Chips)
Photo: HGGI 777 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kalb el bahr, literally 'sea dog', is the local name for dogfish, a small shark that turns up on Libyan fish counters alongside sardines and bream.
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.
More from Libya
Sfinz
Lahm Mishwi (Grilled Lamb Skewers)
🍲
Sharba Libiya (Libyan Soup)
Shai Libi (Libyan Tea)
🐟
Sharmoula
Bazin
Part of World of Street Food — 3443 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.