Currently, it is the time of year when there is the most anchovy fish (from January to the end of June of the lunar calendar). From the abundant source of raw materials, Ms. Phan Thi Chuyen (Ong Quyen hamlet, Tan An Tay commune, Ngoc Hien district) takes advantage of processing it into fish sauce. Every month, during the two tides, she buys more than 3 tons of fresh fish from shrimp ponds and fishing boats. The price of fresh raw fish is from 5,000-6,000 VND/kg. On average, 2 kg of fresh raw fish will produce 1 kg of finished fish sauce.

Ms. Chuyen shared: “In the past, the source of fish was very abundant, because it was a type of trash fish in the pond, only used as fish to compost fish sauce or thrown away. I felt sorry so I brought it home to try making fish sauce to eat and give to relatives, and was praised for its deliciousness and encouraged to make it for sale. After that, I started selling it on a small scale here and in neighboring districts. Since 2014, many people have known about it and placed orders, and it has been consumed strongly in and outside the province. At first, it was very difficult to make 1 kg of fish sauce, because we had to scale each fish by hand. Later, my husband invented a fish scaler, a rice bran roaster, a rice bran grinder, and most recently a rice bran fish sauce mixer, replacing human labor, shortening the time by 5-6 times. Only cutting the fish requires labor, but my husband and I do the salting ourselves.”

Son fish sauce has a rich, delicious flavor that is very characteristic, becoming a famous specialty of Ca Mau .

The combination of sour, sweet, and mild aroma, the brand of Ngoc Chuyen fish sauce has been present in many provinces and cities. On average, each month, her facility supplies the market with 700-800 kg of fish sauce. With prices ranging from 80,000-90,000 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, she earns a profit of nearly 250 million VND/year.

Ms. Chuyen added: “To make delicious fish sauce, the raw fish must be fresh. Then wash it and put it on ice. In the preliminary processing stage, it is salted for about 1 month. Then wash it, drain it, add wine, sugar, ground rice bran and then salt it for another 2 months. Thus, from the day of making it to the day of finishing the product, it takes 3 months. The salting stage is also very important. If the salt is too salty, the fish will be hard and not fragrant. If the salt is too bland, the fish sauce will be sour, cannot be kept for long, will not be fragrant, and will not be delicious. I make roasted and ground rice bran at home so it can be preserved for a long time and the fish sauce still has a sweet and fragrant taste, so customers really like it.”

Ngoc Chuyen fish sauce is one of the OCOP products of Tan An Tay commune, favored by many consumers. Abundant raw materials and stable output create conditions for Ngoc Chuyen fish sauce to develop, create jobs, and increase income for many local workers, especially women.

Ngoc Chuyen fish sauce is one of the OCOP products of Tan An Tay commune, popular and consumed strongly in and outside the province.

Having been with Ms. Chuyen since the early days of establishing the fish sauce facility, Ms. Tran Thi Cam (Ong Quyen hamlet, Tan An Tay commune) has more than 6 years of experience in fish processing. She can process more than 50 kg of fish per day.

Ms. Cam added: “Now I only cut the head and fins of the fish, not the scales like before because I have a machine to do it. The work is easier, and if I work quickly, I can cut more than 50 kg of fish each day. I am paid 5,000 VND per kilo, so I earn more than 250,000 VND to support my family.”

Ms. Nguyen My Hanh, who also works as a fish cutter here, shared: "I have been working here for more than 3 years, earning more than 200,000 VND/day, close to home, I can take care of my children's education more stably."

Son fish sauce has a slightly sour, rich taste, soft, sweet fish meat, soft bones and a typical sea aroma. The sauce is pre-mixed so it can be eaten right away with hot rice, with a plate of green banana, young banyan, sour star fruit, which is very attractive. Or more elaborately, you can mix the sauce with duck eggs, minced meat, onions, pepper and then steam it, which is equally delicious./.

Thao Mo

Source: https://baocamau.vn/dam-da-mam-ca-son-a1170.html