The aroma of snakehead fish with its tail bitten off rises.

Snakehead fish – a common and familiar fish to our people. Yet, one time while wandering around the Thế Miếu temple in the Hue Imperial Citadel, I saw an exquisitely carved snakehead fish bas-relief atop the Nghị Đỉnh (the 5th bronze cauldron in the Nine Bronze Cauldrons of the 17th year of Minh Mạng's reign - 1836) with the name Lục Hoa Ngư – as a representative example of the products of the three regions of Vietnam.

Grilled over charcoal

Many ways to catch fish

My鄉村 people have a saying: "Here I am, reading the Book of Poetry / I suspect the fish lying under the grass is a snakehead fish."

Snakehead fish are omnivorous and hardy, so the river and lagoon ecosystem is a paradise for this species to thrive in all water layers—deep, middle, and surface. Not to mention, snakehead fish can burrow into the mud to hide or leap onto shallow rice paddies during early season thunderstorms.

Because of their polygamous lifestyle, the traditional methods of catching snakehead fish were also adaptable. Net fishing, hook fishing, casting, duck fishing, and even trawling were all available.

Walking along the rice paddies near the riverbank, where snakehead fish often bite the grass to make nests, the "fish hunter" releases a juvenile duckling to pretend to disturb the fish nest.

The Green Flower Fish on the Summit of the Kingdom.

The mother fish, hearing the commotion, surfaced protectively. At that moment, the astute angler spotted the fish's presence, lifted the duckling, and cast a hook with a small frog attached. The mother fish leaped up, snatched the bait, and got caught. This method of catching ducklings is often used to catch larger fish, but few people like it. Catching the mother fish also means abandoning the baby fish.

As a child, my favorite thing was using a kerosene lamp. On nights when the floodwaters rose and inundated the rice paddies, I would carry the lamp in my left hand and a fishing net in my right. The fish would stand still, watching the light from the kerosene lamp, and all I had to do was trap them in the net and put them in a basket.

The most fun way to catch fish in the village in the old days was draining the pond. A few pairs of shoulder-held buckets would scoop water and pour it onto the fields until the pond was completely dry, leaving only mud at the bottom, then everyone would wade in together to search for fish.

A signature dish

Snakehead fish is a meaty, firm fish that can be used to prepare many delicious dishes. Sour soup with starfruit, braised with ripe bananas, grilled over a straw fire with the head cooked first, or filleted and cooked with Quang-style noodles… All are sweet and full of the flavors of the countryside.

Let the fish bite its tail.

But for me, the best dish is the famous grilled snakehead fish slices simmered in ginger fish sauce – an incredible culinary masterpiece that my mother meticulously prepares in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year).

Choose medium-sized snakehead fish from the Dam River, about the size of a wrist. Scale, remove gills and intestines, cut off half the head, then rub with coarse salt and a squeeze of lemon to remove the fishy smell. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Make light diagonal cuts along both sides of the fish's body. These cuts not only help the marinade penetrate but also make it easier to curl the fish's body and tail in the next step.

After marinating the fish with spices (crushed fresh turmeric and shallots, peanut oil, fish sauce, sugar, etc.) evenly through the cuts, my mother used her hands to curl the fish's body into a circle so that the fish's mouth could enclose the tail. Then, she used a bamboo stick to secure the circle, preventing it from unraveling and providing a handle for grilling. On the hot charcoal grill, the fish's flesh gradually firmed up, cooking slowly and evenly from the outside in, ensuring it was perfectly cooked inside without being burnt on the outside.

After simmering over low heat

After grilling, set aside. When ready to eat, take it out, sauté it with peanut oil, and simmer it over low heat with a little crushed or shredded fresh ginger...

Looking at the golden-brown fish fillet curled up on the plate, with a few sprigs of cilantro draped across it, makes my stomach rumble. The fish meat is firm, rich, and flavorful, with a blend of turmeric, ginger, shallots, and the smoky aroma of the kitchen.

Recalling a time of hardship, most people thought of ways to preserve meat and fish for as long as possible. This grilled and braised fish dish was also a method used by people in the past to keep food fresh for longer.

Although it's a simple dish, its preparation is quite elaborate. Despite its humble origins, Lục Hoa Ngư was listed as a national treasure by Emperor Minh Mạng, which certainly means it's no ordinary dish.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/day-huong-mon-ca-trau-ngam-duoi-3149389.html