Thanh Hoa specialties that not everyone dares to try, gourmets say they are more delicious than shrimp

Nga Son eel salad is a famous specialty in Thanh Hoa , recognized in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties 2020-2021 by the Vietnam Record Organization (Vietkings) and Top Vietnam Organization (VietTop).

As the name suggests, this salad is made from the main ingredient of eel. This is a catfish, strong and quite fierce, looks similar to eel but larger in size.

The eel is about 70cm long, with a light brown back and belly. They live in saltwater, fresh water and brackish water, and are especially common in coastal lagoons and estuaries.

Eels in Nga Son are considered to be of better quality than those in other areas in Thanh Hoa. There are river mouths, sea mouths and swamps here, so eels grow quickly, their meat is firm, chewy and fragrant. Photo: Linh But

According to the locals, eels are very strong and aggressive, so catching them is very difficult. They often have to go to the sea to set the bottom or use skewers with large and strong teeth to stab them.

That's why the price of eel is quite high, about several hundred thousand/kg, and it's not always available to enjoy.

Mr. Le Thanh - a chef with many years of experience in Nga Son commune (Thanh Hoa province) said that eel can be processed into many dishes but salad is the most delicious and popular.

However, this dish requires a very elaborate preparation process, the maker must have skills and dexterity.

According to Mr. Thanh, eel skin is very slippery and slimy, so after catching it, it needs to be cleaned with diluted lime water or ash.

Depending on the place, people also rub salt or use bamboo leaves, rice leaves or frog leaves to rub the eel to completely remove dirt and slime. After that, wash the eel, use a warm towel to peel off the skin and cut open the belly, remove the intestines, head and tail.

The process of preparing eel to make salad is very elaborate. Photo: Linh But

After processing the eel, continue to filter the meat and separate the bones.

“This step must be done quickly and skillfully so that the eel meat does not get crushed or have small bones stuck to it.

After that, the eel meat is also wiped dry with paper or a towel to avoid water stagnation. This helps the salad after mixing the ingredients to be dry and delicious, the eel meat is not wet or mushy," said Mr. Thanh.

Next, people cut the eel meat diagonally into thin, long, bite-sized slices, then mix it with ground galangal and thinly sliced lemongrass. Wait a while for the eel meat to be half-cooked, then season to taste. The rice bran is kept separate, for those who like to eat it, mix it later.

This cooking method helps the dish to be more flavorful, keeping the fish fresh, naturally sweet and cool.

In some localities, depending on preference, people can squeeze the eel meat with lemon juice, both to remove the characteristic smell and to make the meat rare.

Then, squeeze the meat to drain the water and mix well with roasted rice bran. Although the processing steps are a bit different, Nga Son eel salad still ensures to retain the traditional flavor.

Eel salad mixed with rice bran or left alone is delicious. Photo: Phuong Thuy Aesthetics, Linh But

Like many other types of fish salad, Nga Son eel salad is also served with a special dipping sauce, which is “cheo”. The dipping sauce for eel salad must be made from the bones of this fish.

After filtering the meat, the fish bones are crushed, mixed with pork belly, sour rice, chicken eggs and some other spices and then boiled. The finished sauce has a thick consistency, dark yellow or slightly brown in color, fragrant and fatty to eat.

In addition to the dipping sauce, the ingredients to eat with Nga Son eel salad are also quite elaborate, including: guava leaves, fig leaves, Indian laurel leaves, perilla leaves, basil, coriander, ginseng, pennywort, mint, green banana, chrysanthemum... Depending on each person's preference, the choice of aromatic leaves to eat with it is also different.

When enjoying, diners roll fig leaves and aromatic leaves into a funnel shape, put the eel salad directly in and pour the fish sauce on top. Diners can add chili, fresh onion, galangal, and lemongrass as desired.

The dipping sauce has a thick consistency and a delicious, fatty taste. Photo: Phuong Thuy Aesthetics

Mr. Hoang Nam ( Hanoi ) has enjoyed Nga Son eel salad several times and commented that this dish must be eaten in large bite-sized pieces, wrapped with all the ingredients and aromatic leaves to fully appreciate its deliciousness.

“The cool, slightly astringent taste of the vegetables combined with the rich taste of the sauce, the sweetness and crunchiness of the eel meat, and the spicy, hot taste of lemongrass, chili, and galangal, creates a famous dish that diners will remember forever,” Mr. Nam shared.

Nga Son eel salad Pham Dung 0.png — Nga Son eel salad specialty is now spread to diners in many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong ... Photo: Pham Dung

According to the personal feelings of a Hanoi guest, eel salad is a specialty with a unique flavor, more delicious than shrimp and crab meat. Although not everyone is brave enough to enjoy this uncooked dish, for gourmets or those who are used to it, this is an unforgettable delicacy.

“Sometimes, if I really crave it and don’t have time to go back to Nga Son, I order a few portions from my regular restaurant. Even though I have to wait 3-4 hours to receive it, for me, the eel salad is still worth the wait. Of course, eating it on the spot is still more delicious and flavorful,” he added.

Foreign guests try chicken pho for 150,000 and 60,000 VND in Hanoi, conclude 1 thing . Experiencing Hanoi chicken pho with two versions, from popular to high price, foreign guests like the dish with soft, fragrant, juicy chicken the most.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dac-san-thanh-hoa-khong-phai-ai-cung-dam-thu-khach-sanh-an-khen-ngon-hon-tom-2450214.html