Herring, the taste of the sea on a summer day.

No bargaining, 40,000 dong per kilogram. The fish seller said that at that price she would choose the biggest fish. Purely fresh fish, their bodies still a vibrant blue-green like the sea. After saying that, she quickly selected enough fish, scooped some ice into a bag for the customer to take home. Along the winding road, the sea breeze carried a salty scent. Back home – a small rented villa, with a stove and charcoal already set up on the porch. The herring were kept in a styrofoam box, safe from spoilage, ready for dinner; just light the fire and grill.

Grilled or braised herring served with white rice.

Around 5 PM, the summer sun had faded. We busied ourselves building a fire and stirring the coals. We set up the grill. The fish were placed in a basket, rinsed with water to thaw them. Then, we leisurely picked them up one by one and placed them on the grill, turning them over and over. The aroma of fresh fish grilled over charcoal is always a delightful attraction whenever I return to the coast.

Then there were a few other grilled dishes to snack on. And the herring was reserved for stewing for breakfast with rice; whether I ate a little or a lot, it was a reminder of my childhood, when before going to work in the fields, I always had to fill my stomach with some white rice and stewed fish.

Rinse the fish to remove any kitchen dust and ash, place them in a small saucepan, add a little peanut oil, and simmer over low heat. When the oil is slightly bubbling, flip the fish to let it absorb some of the rich flavor. Meanwhile, prepare a mixture of fish sauce, a little water, and a few chilies. When the fish has a layer of oil on top and is golden brown, pour in the mixture. Reduce the heat to low again and pick some herbs including lettuce, mint, fish mint, basil, and thinly sliced ​​cucumber. Wash them, soak them in a little salt water for a few minutes, then drain.

Crush a few cloves of garlic, add a chili pepper and set aside. Once the fish is marinated, let the fish sauce cool, then pour it into a bowl with the garlic and chili peppers to use as a dipping sauce for the vegetables. Arrange the fish on a plate, and top with some of the cooked chili peppers from the pot. That makes two dishes for breakfast, served with a freshly served bowl of rice.

White rice and grilled herring stew is a rustic dish, though you have to pick out the small bones in the belly when eating it. Eating it by the sea makes the sweet flavor of the fish's flesh blend even more with the aromatic herbs dipped in its own sauce. It's also a dish that evokes the taste of summer days gone by, when there was a bountiful herring harvest in our hometown, a dish that nourished us as we grew up…

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