Head down to the Deira fish market (suq as samak) nestled in the old part of town and check out the Arabian Sea’s fresh stock. Contrary to what some people think, Shawarma is not the local food in UAE. It relies heavily on fish, my favorite marinated in lemon, salt, and onion, grilled or deep fried.

I’m no fish naming expert, but the most common fish are Hamour, Sultan Ebrahim, Beyah, Kanaad, Shaari, Halwayo, and Yanan. Some are types of groupers and the rest, well, mullets, sardines, tuna, pomfrets among others. The good news? They’re tasty as hell. Bad news? The sea’s running out of fish so the www.choosewisely.ae in association with the Emirates Wildlife Society has addressed the issue and developed measures to control overfishing to keep our fish stock alive rather than deep fried on my plate everyday.

Photos taken by the pops