Dish of the World Fish

"Every chef who considers themselves worthy of the name must have heard of the World Fish legend."

— A veteran chef in the Known World

  One of the tests for every aspiring chef is to make the Dish of the World Fish. Not because it's hard to make, but because the ingredients can be hard to find. The dish is a fish curry using fish from every corner of the world.  

The World Fish Tale

The name comes from an ancient legend, the legend of the world's fish. The story goes that there is a sea where all the fish come to gather. All the world's seas connect to this sea, so all fish can live and coexist in it. The fishermen could enjoy their catch of the day while the locals could enjoy the tastes from afar. No-one knows if the sea exists, but the story spread far and wide. One day, a culinary traveller decided to travel to the sea and collect four fish. He made a curry with the fish, and the meal became the Dish of the World Fish.   The original recipe used four types of fish from all corners of the world. They were cut into bite-sized pieces and steamed. Then, the fish were mixed into a curry base with some local spices, and the dish was complete. The curry was typically eaten with rice in the west and some flatbread in the east. In some nations, it became a national dish, a sign of togetherness in a world that was slowly becoming isolated.  

Newer Recipes

"The final product isn't the test, although it would help if you gave the dish some kind of taste."

— Jericho Varki to his student Acalan

  After the Ice Age came, most of the original recipe was lost to time. So to many, the test of the chef is not to cook the dish, but to find the four original fish. This is not a challenge for aspiring chefs, but for those who want a true challenge, and for those who want to travel. For the newer chefs, their test is to replicate the spirit of the dish by using fish from all corners of the world.