Yete

Senegal’s national dish, thieboudienne, has a crucial, pungent ingredient: the fermented flesh of sea snails. Known as yete (alternately spelled yet or yeet), these large marine mollusks are buried in the sand for several days, then sun-dried. Only then are they ready to impart a “signature saline funk” to Senegal’s signature fiery fish-and-rice dish.

Some diners say the yete has a leathery texture, a smoky aroma, and a briny flavor that also tastes a bit musky. Though there is no true substitute for snail flesh, in its absence, cooks opt for Southeast Asian fish sauce to impart a comparable brininess. But many claim that yete is less intense than the other aquatic flavoring added to thieboudienne. Guedge, a dried, fermented fish also integral to preparing the traditional dish, is rank enough make yete seem relatively mild.