Thai cuisine is loved around the world for its iconic dishes, from Papaya Salad to Thai Green Curry.
However, one dish you probably haven't heard of is so dangerous that just one bite can lead to liver cancer.
Reports suggest that 20,000 people in Thailand die every single year from eating the popular dish.
Advert
The dish is particularly popular in one of the nation’s poorest provinces, Isaan, who have have the highest reported number of cases.
Known as koi pla, the plate is made up of minced raw fish, mixed with lemon juice, herbs and spices.
Even though millions of Thai people consume it on a regular basis, it's not the type of fish that is the issue.
Advert
Locals reportedly source the fish from a water location in the Mekong region, which contains parasitic flatworms - or live flukes - which are consumed by the fish.
These flatworms contain bile duct cancer and that's why Isaan has the highest reported instance of cholangiocarcinoma.
Doctor Narong Khuntikeo is fighting against the delicacy after both his parents died from liver cancer after eating it.
"It’s a very big health burden around here," the liver surgeon told Agence France-Presse.
Advert
"But nobody knows about this because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree."
Khuntikeo, has joined forces with scientists, doctors and anthropologists, who have spent four years testing villagers from the Isaan region for the parasite.
Using ultrasound machines and urine testing kits, the doctor found that as much as 80 per cent of inhabitants from some communities were found to have ingested the deadly parasite.
While he's trying to spread information and warnings over the koi pla dish - alongside local health officials have introducing a school curriculum geared at teaching children about the risks of raw foods - Khuntikeo has said he's faced issues with the older generation.
Advert
"They’ll say: 'Oh well, there are many ways to die,'" the health professional said.
"But I cannot accept this answer."
One farmer from the Khon Kaen province, Boonliang Konghakot, does not have an issue with it, and said: "I used to come here and just catch the fish in the pond...it’s so easy to eat raw."
Advert
Thanin Wongseeda, another villager who was being screened as part of Khuntikeo's initiative, revealed: "I’ve never been checked before, so I think I will probably have it because I’ve been eating (koi pla) since I was little."
Topics: Cancer, Health, Travel, Food and Drink, World News, Science