Phan Thiet fish cake retains the full taste of the sea

Attracting tourists

Many tourists who were conquered from the first time they enjoyed it shared: The first time eating Phan Thiet fish cake noodle soup, I was really impressed by the chewy and fragrant fish cake, mixed with the sweet broth, creating a harmonious and unforgettable flavor. Similarly, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City said: “Because I love this dish so much, every time I come to Phan Thiet, my family buys fish cake as a habit, bringing it back as a gift, both to enjoy gradually and to share with relatives. Phan Thiet fish cake is not only a delicious dish, but also carries the “soul” of coastal cuisine – rustic, profound and full of flavor”.

Phan Thiet fish cakes are processed into steamed and fried fish cakes.

Not only conquering tourists, Phan Thiet fish cakes also have a long-standing journey with the people here. Although it is not clear who was the first to create fish cakes, according to some old fishermen, in the past, when they could not sell all the fresh fish they caught, they processed it into dried fish and fish cakes to preserve food and avoid waste. Fishermen in coastal areas often bring fish cakes with them on their trips to sea.

Over time, fish cakes are not only popular in family meals but also appear in all street vendors and small roadside eateries, and have been elevated to become a local specialty. Currently, Phan Thiet fish cakes are widely sold, with prices ranging from 240,000 VND/kg for types such as bottle fish, anchovies... to about 320,000 VND/kg for mackerel fish cakes (usually virtual fish - small mackerel).

From fresh fish to delicious sausage

Phan Thiet fishing grounds are famous for their rich seafood resources such as mackerel, anchovy, barracuda, goby, bottle fish, mackerel, snakehead fish, etc. These are the ingredients that create the typical fish cake dish, closely associated with the lives of coastal people. The biggest difference of Phan Thiet fish cake is the freshness of the fish. Fresh fish is cleaned, deboned, and the fish meat is hand-minced using traditional methods. This is the decisive step in creating toughness, adhesion and preserving the natural sweetness. Nowadays, with the support of a grinder, the fish cake maker still meticulously adds spices such as pepper, onion, fish sauce and a little MSG to highlight the fresh flavor of the fish, creating pieces of cake that are both chewy and characteristically fragrant.

Phan Thiet fish cakes are prepared in two ways: fried and steamed. Fried fish cakes have a crispy golden outer layer, soft and chewy inside and retain their characteristic flavor. Meanwhile, steamed fish cakes have a sweet and soft taste thanks to the egg yolk during the steaming process, creating an eye-catching golden color. This difference contributes to the unique brand of Phan Thiet fish cakes compared to other coastal areas.

Not only eaten alone, fish cakes are also the main ingredient in many other dishes such as fish cake noodle soup, fish cake bread, fish cake vermicelli, fish cake with tomato sauce or fish cake sour soup. These dishes delicately combine rich, spicy and sweet flavors, demonstrating the creativity and flexibility in coastal culinary culture.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/cha-ca-phan-thiet-giu-tron-vi-bien-130292.html