Irresistibly delicious Vinh Luong fish cake

About 15km from the center of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province, passing Luong Son pass is Vinh Luong fishing port.

From dawn, the entire port is bustling with fishing boats coming and going with all kinds of fish. Perhaps because of its fresh ingredients, Vinh Luong fish cakes have long been a favorite dish of the people of the coastal city of Nha Trang.

Fish cakes here have an attractive flavor and have become a Nha Trang specialty loved by many people. This dish can be made from different types of fish.

The most delicious of these is barracuda, followed by mackerel, red snapper, and mullet. You can also find patties made from other types of fish such as anchovy, flying fish, and sailfish.

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 1. — Barracuda, a main ingredient to make Vinh Luong fish cake brand - Nha Trang

In the past, to preserve fish after a day of fishing, people created a method of making fish cakes: filleting the fish, pounding it with basic spices such as salt, pepper, chili and wrapping it in banana leaves, then steaming or frying. Gradually, from the need to preserve fish, fish cakes developed into a separate specialty with a refined recipe that brings a characteristic flavor to the Nha Trang sea.

The special thing is that the fish used to make Nha Trang fish cakes is always selected when fresh, then cleaned, ground, mixed with spices, without mixing with powder or preservatives.

The finished product meets the standards, so Nha Trang fish cakes have a complex aroma, sweet taste, and are soft and chewy. When eating, diners can clearly feel the natural freshness of the sea fish.

In fact, the specific price depends on the main ingredients, the time of purchase and the place of sale. During the rough sea season, when it is difficult to catch fish, the price will increase compared to other times. Perhaps, the price of patties made from barracuda and mackerel will be higher than those made from sailfish and anchovies, etc.

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 2. — Steamed fish cake

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 3. — Fried fish cake

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 4. — Mr. Tran Minh Anh, Deputy Director of Anfood Nha Trang Company Limited - a processing factory in Vinh Luong, said that the most important thing to have delicious fish cakes is the input materials.

Mr. Tran Minh Anh, Deputy Director of Anfood Nha Trang Company Limited, said that the most important thing to have delicious fish cakes is the input materials. The company sends people to import fresh fish right at the port from early morning around 4-7 am every day, and net fish in the afternoon and evening. Whenever the boat arrives, the raw materials are imported. The fish is brought to the cold storage to continue the processing stage, cutting off the head, cleaning the blood vessels to avoid the fishy smell... After that, the fresh fish continues to be separated from the meat, seasoned, put into the machine to mix evenly, and shaped. The final stage is to steam or fry.

According to Mr. Anh, the company's fish factory cannot actually do much because the daily fish catch in Vinh Luong is not high. The facility can only purchase 170-180kg of fresh fish per day, and after processing, it can bring about 100kg to the market.

"Nha Trang fish cakes are generally fresh and delicious, but each region has its own way of mixing different types of fish, resulting in different batches of fish cakes. That can be called a family secret," said Mr. Anh.

Fish cakes usually come in two types: fried and steamed. Each type has its own delicious taste. Steamed fish cakes retain the flavor of sea fish while fried fish cakes create a sweet, crispy, and rich taste in the crust of the fish cake.

Fish cakes can be processed into many related dishes, such as: fish cake noodles, rice noodles, fish cakes rolled in rice paper, can be eaten with rice or used as a snack, all are very delicious.

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 5.

Chả cá Vĩnh Lương – Nha Trang thơm ngon khó cưỡng- Ảnh 6. — Fish cakes are processed to serve many different dishes.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien (tourist from Hue ), Nha Trang fish cake has a unique flavor because it is made from sea fish. The delicious taste of the fish and the natural saltiness of the sea salt create a unique flavor that can only be found in Nha Trang fish cake. Every time he comes to Nha Trang, he buys some as gifts.

The round fish cakes are wrapped in vacuum bags so they are easy to transport and ensure a shelf life of a few days until you bring them home to give as gifts.