Nam O "old fish" salad

Nam O fish salad is incomplete without its accompanying vegetables. Photo: NH

Fish salad with wild vegetables

Nam O – an ancient village south of Hai Van Pass. Tourists come here not only for the peaceful charm of the ancient fishing village and to hear the sparkling legends of the old Chau O and Chau Ly regions, but also to enjoy the signature dishes of the lower Cu De River region. One of them is Nam O's "da" fish salad.

Many people, upon hearing this for the first time, think it's a salad made from a type of fish called "dà". In fact, this is one of the ways people in the coastal village of Nam Ô eat fish salad. Diners put all the vegetables, fish, and crumbled rice paper into a bowl, pour in the fish sauce, and then "and" it in a very satisfying way. People from Quảng province often pronounce words beginning with the consonant "v" as "d". Here, the way of eating fish "and" (a way of scooping food into the mouth) has been pronounced as "dà".

If you ever have the chance to visit the ancient fishing village of Nam O, be sure to try the "da" fish salad prepared in the authentic fishing village style, and you'll feel a refreshing coolness in your heart.

There's a humorous story that goes like this: a young reporter from the North, while writing an article about the famous fish salad of Nam O, was treated to a "aged" fish salad by the locals. He immediately wrote a report titled: "The Famous Aged Fish Salad of Nam O Fishing Village." Whether this is true or not is unknown, but the anecdotes surrounding the fish salad are endless!

Locals often describe the deliciousness of their local fish salad with a vivid metaphor: "Craving spring rolls or fish cakes is nothing compared to craving fish salad with wild herbs." This quintessential coastal dish is typically made from anchovies, herring, sardines, and other types of fish caught fresh from the waters of Nam O.

Making a salad from tiny fish requires skillful techniques such as cutting off the tails and heads, removing the bones, splitting them in half, slicing them into pieces, squeezing out the excess water, and marinating them with finely chopped ginger, galangal, garlic, and roasted rice powder.

It's strange, but Nam O fish salad is truly incomplete without wild herbs.

Enjoy authentic seafood cuisine.

To truly experience the authentic Nam O style, locals venture into the Hai Van forest to gather various herbs and leaves. Wild leaves such as wild basil, thorny basil, and other similar species, when combined with prepared fish, create a unique flavor. Additionally, common garden leaves like apricot, and perilla, and lettuce are also present to enhance the taste of this delicious seafood dish.

Captivated by the beauty of Nam O beach. Photo: XH

Nowadays, Nam O fish salad is no longer confined to fishing villages as it once was. It has made its way into upscale restaurants. Perhaps that's why the traditional, informal way of eating fish salad is fading away.

Nowadays, people use rice paper as an outer layer to wrap wild vegetables and processed fish into small rolls. Then they dip them into a spicy fish sauce flavored with finely ground chili and garlic. These steps alone are enough to make your mouth water; the fish salad, when it enters your mouth, elicits a gasp of pleasure.

Nam O, the ancient land of Hoa O, still holds the enchanting legend of Princess Huyen Tran, who once stopped at Mom Hac cliff to wait for an opportunity to return to Dai Viet. The Cham wells, for centuries, have listened to the sea tell stories of anchovies, the source of the famous Nam O fish sauce. Or the story of herring, transformed by fishermen into a flavorful fish salad, embodying the soul of the fishing village.

If you ever have the chance to visit the ancient fishing village of Nam O, be sure to try the "da" fish salad, prepared in the authentic style of the fishing village, to feel a refreshing coolness in your heart. Like the primeval forest growing on the rocky outcrops of Mom Hac, like the sound of the wind blowing from the moss-covered rocks of a thousand years...

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