"Treasures" of the traditional craft village

QTO - Although they don't directly dedicate their lives to the sea, many people in coastal villages possess the "secret" to making top-quality, pure fish sauce, thick shrimp paste, thin shrimp paste, etc., which can be stored for 2-3 years without affecting quality. They are considered the "treasures" of traditional craft villages along the coastal areas.

Ms. Doan Thi Mung (62 years old) from Gia Dang village, Trieu Co commune, readily revealed her secret recipe for making delicious, amber-colored fish sauce. According to her, to make good fish sauce, one must focus on selecting the right ingredients; usually fresh mackerel, scad, and anchovies. In the processing stage, the fish mixing is the most important step; the fish-to-salt ratio must be neither too salty nor too bland. After salting, the fish is placed in jars or tanks, a thick layer of salt is sprinkled on top, and then it is tightly packed to speed up the fermentation process and ensure hygiene. After a fermentation period of 7 months to 1 year, the fish is ready, and then the fish sauce is filtered. This usually takes place at night to avoid flies and ensure food safety.

In particular, Ms. Mung has a "secret" that allows her fish sauce to be stored for 2-3 years without affecting its quality. Instead of immediately filtering the fish into fish sauce for sale, she ferments it for another 2 years. This fish sauce not only has excellent quality, but it also retains its flavor and doesn't spoil or change color even after being stored and used for a long time. Currently, Ms. Mung sells about 50 liters of fish sauce daily.

Ms. Doan Thi Mung turns the fermentation vats to ensure consistent fish sauce quality - Photo: SH

In My Thuy village, My Thuy commune, Mr. Phan Thanh Thiem (48 years old) is continuing the tradition of making shrimp paste from his late mother – a talented shrimp paste maker in the region. Mr. Thiem shared that the best season for making shrimp paste is from November to April of the following year. At that time, schools of deep red sea shrimp drift close to the shore, bubbling on the clear blue water. Fishermen quickly use trawling nets to pull the shrimp ashore. Then, shrimp paste makers like Mr. Phan Thanh Thiem will go ashore to buy them. After purchasing from the fishermen, Mr. Phan Thanh Thiem washes the shrimp and mixes them with salt at a ratio of 6 buckets of fresh shrimp to 1 bucket of salt for salty shrimp; 12 buckets of fresh shrimp to 1 bucket of salt for less salty shrimp. After about 24 hours, he removes the shrimp shells separately, and keeps the brine that turns bright red. The shrimp scraps, once removed from the brine, are sun-dried for about a day before being pounded into a fine paste. This paste is then mixed with brine, stirred well, and placed in jars or containers, where it is sun-dried again for about half a month until it begins to ripen. The longer the shrimp are sun-dried, the more fragrant and aromatic they become.

According to Dang Xuan Thanh, Head of the Economic Department of My Thuy Commune, the craft of making fish sauce and shrimp paste in My Thuy village has been passed down through many generations. These "treasures" of the village hold the experience and secrets to producing fish sauce and shrimp paste with the rich flavor of the sea. The traditional My Thuy fish sauce village currently has about 60-70 households producing and trading fish sauce. By 2025, the village is expected to supply nearly 1 million liters of fish sauce to the market at an average price of 50,000 VND/liter. In the future, My Thuy commune will promote capital support to expand scale and apply science and technology to production; train fish sauce production facilities on product preservation methods; focus on building and promoting the brand and quality of My Thuy fish sauce; maintain and develop cooperatives, acting as a bridge between businesses and producers to ensure product output. Strengthening production process management is crucial to maintaining and enhancing the quality and reputation of My Thuy fish sauce brand.

It can be said that the fish sauce and shrimp paste from traditional craft villages in Quang Tri have gradually regained their place in the hearts of consumers. And it is these "living treasures" like Mrs. Mung and Mr. Thiem who have contributed to preserving the longevity of these craft villages against the waves of time.

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202602/bau-vat-cua-lang-nghe-0274b91/