Mrs. Gai decants fish sauce into bottles to deliver to customers - Photo: TP
Chan Cau Restaurant in Cua Viet town, Gio Linh district is a familiar destination for seafood lovers in and outside the province. According to Ms. Vo Thi Huyen My, the restaurant's chef, in addition to choosing fresh ingredients, the restaurant is always meticulous in the processing and use of spices to create the most delicious dishes for customers.
To date, Chan Cau restaurant has trusted Hong Gai fish sauce for more than 10 years. Ms. My said that this fish sauce brand was chosen not only because of its good quality and cleanliness, but most importantly because it is made from local ingredients. “We trust Hong Gai fish sauce to cook for our family and customers. Many guests from far away all praise the deliciousness and suggest buying this brand’s fish sauce for cooking and as gifts,” Ms. My said.
It is known that Hong Gai fish sauce is one of the products that Mr. Trong and his wife started producing in 2006. “Before, I worked as a fresh fish trader to earn money to cover living expenses and raise children. That job was hard, going early and coming back late but not earning much. Realizing the abundant source of raw materials right in the land where we were born and raised, my wife and I thought why not try making fish sauce. That is where the Hong Gai fish sauce brand was born,” Ms. Bui Thi Gai, Mr. Trong’s wife, recalled.
Recalling the early days of starting their business, they encountered many difficulties, mainly due to lack of experience. Although the fish sauce produced was delicious, much was lost during the processing. Not giving up, Mr. Trong and Mrs. Gai actively participated in training sessions organized by the Gio Linh District Industrial Promotion Center, learning more about the experiences of long-time fish sauce makers in the area. Thanks to that, the quantity and quality of fish sauce have been improved over time.
Ms. Gai said that the process of making fish sauce is actually simple. After bringing the fresh fish home, wash it, drain it, then put it in a tank and mix it with salt in a ratio of 4 kg of fish - 1 kg of salt. Then cover it tightly, press it down for 1 month, and stir it every week to help the fish sauce ripen quickly.
After about 10 months, the fish sauce is filtered into bottles. The fish sauce made by Mrs. Gai has a golden yellow color, rich aroma, a slight tingling sensation on the tip of the tongue, and a sweet aftertaste, completely different from some types of fish sauce currently sold on the market. This difference leaves an indelible impression on many people when enjoying the product.
In 2010, with the goal of expanding the market, Mr. Trong and his wife focused on building a closed fish sauce production facility with a scale of more than 300 m2. It is known that on average, each year, this facility supplies the market with about 6,000 liters of fish sauce from anchovies and mackerel. To diversify products, Ms. Gai also produces fish sauce from sea shrimp and makes fish sauce.
In December 2024, Hong Gai fish sauce was recognized by the People's Committee of Quang Tri province as achieving 3-star OCOP. This is not only a recognition of product quality but also an important milestone in the 20-year journey of efforts to bring the "quintessence" of Cua Viet town to the world by Mr. Trong and his wife.
Currently, Hong Gai fish sauce products are priced from 60,000 - 70,000 VND/liter; shrimp paste sauce is priced at 120,000 VND/liter. In addition to selling to surrounding households in the traditional way, Ms. Gai's products have also reached many large domestic markets such as Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City... thanks to promotion through social networking platforms.
“We sign contracts with skilled fishermen to guarantee the supply of raw materials. Fish sauce is produced in rotation, so there is always a supply at any time of the year. In the past, we could only sell a few dozen liters per month, but now my wife and I sell 40-50 liters per day,” Trong said excitedly. This model brings his family a revenue of nearly 200 million VND per year, creating seasonal jobs for 2-3 local workers.
Sharing about his upcoming plans, Mr. Trong confided: “Currently, my family’s fish sauce production facility does not have the conditions to expand its scale because it is located in a residential area. Therefore, my wife and I’s biggest wish is for the locality to build a craft village so that we can soon relocate and expand our family’s fish sauce production scale.”
Truc Phuong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/dua-tinh-hoa-que-huong-vuon-xa-194200.htmsa
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