Keeping the family tradition alive: Van Quang fish sauce and the opportunity to get rich for women in Nghia Lam

Every morning, before the sunlight has time to shine on the fish-filled boat holds, the Van Quang clean fish sauce factory in Nghia Lam commune is bustling with people's voices, the sound of the fish sauce tanks being stirred, blending with the salty, rich aroma of the fish sauce spreading throughout the small coastal hamlet. The woman with a small stature, but always playing the role of "soul" of the facility, is Ms. Nguyen Thi Them. With her steadfast will and spirit of continuous learning, she has turned her hometown fish sauce into a typical OCOP product, while opening the door to stable jobs, improving the status of dozens of local women.

Starting a business from love for the ocean and concern for fish

Born and raised in a coastal area, where fishermen's lives are associated with trips "selling their faces to the waves, selling their backs to the sky," Ms. Them deeply understands the value of each batch of fish, each grain of salt. In 2008, when the fishing industry was facing difficulties, with fish in the hold full but difficult to sell, and cheap prices causing many families to suffer, Ms. Them came up with a bold idea, going against the majority: buying fish from fishermen to ferment and make fish sauce using traditional methods. She confided: "At that time, I simply thought of how to preserve the flavor of my hometown's sea, while helping people avoid having to sell fish cheaply. So I started from scratch: Borrowing capital, buying jars, learning fish sauce fermentation techniques from the village elders," Ms. Them recalled the early days of struggle.

The start-up phase was not easy. The initial facility only had 5 employees, lacked capital, and lacked experience in large-scale production. However, with her industrious nature and tireless spirit of learning, Ms. Them worked and learned, actively participated in training courses on food safety and hygiene, and continuously improved the fermentation process to improve quality. She understood that only quality is the sustainable path. The first jars of fish sauce were born, with a rich, clear, and mildly aromatic flavor, and gradually won the trust of consumers in the area. Ms. Them always spent time learning, improving the process, and improving the quality of the product, demonstrating her seriousness and responsibility for the profession.

The journey to bring Que fish sauce far and wide

After more than 15 years of perseverance, from a family-scale facility, Van Quang clean fish sauce of Ms. Nguyen Thi Them has developed strongly and steadily. The facility currently consumes hundreds of tons of fish each year, bringing to the market 700 tons of shrimp paste and 15,000 liters of fish sauce. The product not only retains the quintessential traditional flavor but also becomes a prestigious brand, not only covering Ninh Binh but also reaching many neighboring provinces.

The meticulousness of the women has created a different quality: each drop of fish sauce is golden, has a strong but light taste, and a gentle aroma of the ocean, the result of a completely natural fermentation process, without the use of chemicals or additives. When the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program was implemented, Van Quang fish sauce was chosen to build a brand, officially becoming a typical product of Nghia Lam commune.

Creating livelihoods and keeping traditional crafts alive

The most special and meaningful thing that Ms. Them's model brings is creating a stable livelihood for the local community. Currently, Van Quang Clean Fish Sauce Production Facility is creating jobs for 20 workers, most of whom are women, with an income of 6 to 9 million VND/person/month.

Thanks to the jobs in their hometown, the women do not have to leave their hometown to work for hire, but can also learn the traditional profession of their ancestors. Ms. Them affirmed: "The fish sauce making profession is closely associated with women. From choosing fish, choosing salt, fermenting, drying in the sun to bottling, all require the meticulousness and dexterity of women, and it is women who are the ones who keep the profession the most steadfast."

Not only helping her family escape poverty and become well-off, Ms. Them also contributes to the locality to reduce the poverty rate, creating a strong driving force for the new rural economic development movement. For her, passing on the profession to the younger generation, especially members and women, is the best way to preserve traditional crafts, helping them confidently start a business and take control of their lives right in their homeland.

Future vision and community support

On her development journey, Ms. Them has always received active support from all levels of government and especially the Women's Union (WU) in connecting to the market, providing information, knowledge, and management skills.

Looking to the future, Ms. Them has many big plans. She believes that, for Nghia Lam fish sauce industry to develop sustainably, there needs to be close connection between production households, forming cooperatives or cooperatives. This not only helps to improve competitiveness but also preserves traditional professions associated with developing village tourism .

Ms. Them hopes that in the coming time, the Association at all levels and local authorities will continue to support training in safe fermentation techniques, improve packaging, labels, and traceability stamps, as well as promote on e-commerce platforms and trade promotion fairs.

From fresh batches of fish, each drop of Van Quang fish sauce is not only a consumer product but also a story about the will to rise of Vietnamese women, a living proof of preserving and developing traditional values, contributing to making Nghia Lam sea area increasingly change and develop sustainably.

Source: https://ninhbinh.gov.vn/kinh-te/giu-lua-nghe-gia-truyen-nuoc-mam-van-quang-va-co-hoi-lam-giu-cho-phu-nu-nghia-lam-359001