The owners of fish sauce vats in Phu Quoc still proudly tell that, since ancient times, their grandparents have made a living by making fish sauce and then passed it on to their descendants, up to now, the 5th and 6th generations. There are also documents recording that the fish sauce making profession in Phu Quoc existed before the French period with a history of development of more than 200 years. A survey report by the French in 1869 described: Phu Quoc island has about 2,000 people, all of whom are Annamese. The main occupation of Phu Quoc residents is fishing and making fish sauce. Today, although Phu Quoc has developed strongly, becoming a "paradise" of tourism , attracting millions of tourists every year, the fish sauce making profession is still an inseparable part of the pearl island.
Dai Duc fish sauce factory is located in Quarter 8, Duong Dong Ward, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang
Continuing the hundred-year-old profession
In Phu Quoc, there are now many famous fish sauce brands, including Dai Duc fish sauce factory. Dai Duc fish sauce has been a family tradition since 1897, is currently a member of the Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Production Association, and is recognized by the European Union (EU) as a product with geographical indications. After 126 years, the recipe of Dai Duc fish sauce has been passed down from his father to the 6th generation, Mr. Ha Tan Tai (43 years old, residing in Quarter 8, Duong Dong Ward, Phu Quoc City).
Mr. Tai said that the person who pioneered the Dai Duc brand fish sauce making profession in the Truong family was his great-grandfather Ky (1850 - 1920). When Mr. Ky passed away, his son Truong Van Phu (1872 - 1950) took over the profession. After that, Mr. Phu continued to pass on the profession to his two sons Truong Van Gong and Truong Van Dua. In the next generation, Mr. Gong's children and grandchildren, together with his wife's and husband's families, built 7 famous fish sauce brands. The eldest son Truong Hong Dai also built his own fish sauce brand, as did the second son Truong Van Cu and the youngest son Truong Van Hoa.
Mr. Ha Tan Tai, the 6th generation successor of Dai Duc fish sauce brand
In addition to expanding the fish sauce brand of his father, Mr. Hoa's children have also built other fish sauce brands, including Dai Duc fish sauce. Continuing the family's tradition of hundreds of years with more than 70 wooden barrels for fermentation, each year, Mr. Tai runs the Dai Duc barrel house to produce hundreds of thousands of liters of special fish sauce. This type of fish sauce has a golden brown color, a sweet, delicious, rich, slightly salty taste, not only sold domestically but also exported to many countries in the region.
Keep the legacy of our ancestors
As one of the enthusiastic young people, Mr. Ha Tan Tai not only strives to expand the market from the South to the North but also brings the Dai Duc fish sauce brand to the Thai market, most recently the Cambodian market.
Sharing about the fish sauce making profession, Mr. Tai said that in order to have a sustainable quality brand for hundreds of years, Dai Duc fish sauce must always be made almost entirely from natural anchovies, caught in the right season. Every anchovy season from July to December, fishermen sail out to sea, pulling nets. The fresh batches of anchovies are pulled up, washed with seawater, and immediately salted with the formula "3 fish, 1 salt" as has been established for generations. This step not only helps preserve and keep the fish from spoiling when brought back to the mainland, but also plays a decisive role in ensuring that when the fish sauce is cooked, it will have a light aroma.
When the boat’s hold is full of fish, the batches of anchovies are transported straight to the barrel house. The anchovies and salt are fermented in large wooden barrels, reinforced with wide ropes made from rattan. The salt used to marinate the fish is low in impurities and stored for at least 3 months to reduce the astringency. The salt grains must be large, even, opaque white in the middle, slightly transparent on the edges, dry, and the grains must not stick together. The salt flavor must be rich but not too astringent.
Dai Duc brand fish sauce products
Just like that, it takes 12 - 15 months of fermentation, the fragrant drops of fish sauce begin to waft. After that, it must go through a full testing process of protein standards (total, amino acids, NH3, microbiological indicators, salinity...), the factory will draw the first batches of fish sauce essence. The first extracted fish sauce essence has a natural protein content of 43 degrees, which is also the premium fish sauce that just smelling the aroma makes your stomach churn. Just tasting a drop will make you feel the rich salty taste and sweetness of natural protein mixed with the fatty taste of anchovy fat."
In Phu Quoc today, the fish sauce making profession also contributes to the brand of the pearl island. A famous premium anchovy fish sauce. Therefore, any tourist who sets foot in Phu Quoc wants to bring some fish sauce back for their family, as a gift for relatives and friends. Fish sauce is not only a product, a traditional profession but also contains many historical and cultural values associated with the land, sea and people of Phu Quoc," Mr. Tai shared.
Box:
For advice on Dai Duc fish sauce products, please contact: Hotline: 0983.23.43.21 - 0914.21.23.05
Website: www.nuocmamdaiduc.com.vn
Address: Nguyen Hue Street, Ward 8, Duong Dong Ward, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang.
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