Eel processing village - VnExpress

Nghe An From catching eels for sale, people in Phan Thanh, Yen Thanh district switched to purchasing and processing eel products, earning more than 50 million VND/household per month.

Phan Thanh is a small village located in the low-lying area at the end of Long Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, with nearly 200 households. In the 1990s, in addition to farming, people also went fishing and catching eels in the fields and ponds in the area to use as food or sell for extra income.

People gather to process eels at a business establishment in Phan Thanh village, Long Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district in mid-October. Photo: Duc Hung

During the process of catching and selling eels, many people have gone from being trappers to traders, going around the village to collect live eels to bring to restaurants and eateries. Some smart families have borrowed money to open eel processing facilities and then sell them to partners to get a higher price. For more than 20 years, Phan Thanh has become a famous eel processing village in Yen Thanh district as well as Nghe An.

The facility of Mr. Nguyen Minh Thao, 31 years old, at the beginning of Phan Thanh village, is more than 50 square meters wide, with many refrigerators, large specialized aluminum pots and some machines for packaging. Every day, Mr. Thao buys 300-500 kg of live eels at the price of 130,000-150,000 VND/kg, then hires 12-15 people to work 8 hours, paying 170,000-350,000 VND to process the eels, marinate, package, and trade...

Eels are processed into two types, fillet (fresh eel) and soup (boiled eel). For fillet, the eel has its head and tail removed. Workers use a wooden table 50 cm long, 10 cm wide, with nails on top to fix the eel vertically, the left hand holds the tail, the right hand uses a sharp knife to cut from head to bottom to remove the bones and intestines. On average, each person can make 60-70 kg per day.

People of Phan Thanh village, Long Thanh commune, process eel. Video : Duc Hung

Eel fillets are mainly processed into spring rolls, grilled, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, stewed with banana and bean curd, cooked with pickles... Among the dishes, eel rolls are the most elaborate. The chef will mince lean pork, mix spices well, roll with eel strips, tie tightly with green onions, arrange 18-20 balls in a foam tray and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Customers buy them home and cook them for 20-30 minutes.

Eel porridge and soup are served at porridge and soup shops in the area. This is a specialty of Nghe An, often served with wet rice paper and bread. Imported eels must be fresh, with the head and tail removed, then tossed with salt, fresh turmeric or pure turmeric powder so that the meat does not crack and has a beautiful yellow color. Next, the workers will put the eels in a specialized pot and boil for about 5-7 minutes.

The owner of the facility places dozens of kilograms of boiled eels on a 2-meter wide, 4-meter long aluminum table. Dozens of workers sit in 2-3 rows to process them, and after finishing one batch, they move on to the next. At this stage, removing the bones and intestines does not require a knife. The worker wears gloves, takes a 4-cm long, 2-cm diameter plastic tube with a pointed tip shaped like an arrow, and attaches it to the thumb of the dominant hand. The pointed part of the plastic tube will be inserted into the eel's head, then gently cut slowly to the end of the tail to separate the organs.

Ms. Thao is cutting boiled eel, this type is used to cook porridge, eel soup - a specialty of Nghe An. Photo: Duc Hung

"This process requires carefulness. If you cut too far, the eel's veins will tear and will not meet the partner's standards. One kilogram of boiled eel, when the organs are removed, will have 700 grams of meat left," said Nguyen Thi Thao, 37, a resident of Phan Thanh village. Thao has been involved in eel processing for more than ten years. In addition to farming, this job brings in an additional income of 4-6 million VND per month.

In Phan Thanh village, there are currently more than 50 families processing and selling eel products. In addition, there are more than 100 households mainly catching live eels to import to factories and partners inside and outside the commune. Finished products are stored in freezers. Marinated eels are sold for 250,000 VND/kg, eel meat rolls in a package of 18 pieces are 110,000 VND, a 200 gram bag of dried eel is 230,000 VND...

Mr. Nguyen Minh Thao added that in addition to selling to restaurants and eateries in Nghe An, products from Phan Thanh village are also consumed in Hanoi, Ha Long, Thanh Hoa, Da Nang, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City. Eels also follow customers to some countries such as Germany, England, and Korea... On average, each month, Mr. Thao's facility consumes 6-7 tons of pre-processed eels domestically and ships about 500 kg abroad.

Eel rolls and marinated eel products are packaged and sold by Phan Thanh villagers. Photo: Duc Hung

According to Mr. Thao, the biggest wish of the villagers is to export eel products through official channels. Currently, the facilities in Phan Thanh are mainly from rural areas, the processing is manual, and machinery has not been invested much to meet standards in production as well as packaging for export. "In the near future, we hope to receive support from the government to complete the documents and procedures and create conditions for renting more premises to overcome this problem," said Mr. Thao.

Mr. Nguyen Van De, Chairman of Long Thanh Commune, said that from a seasonal job during the off-season, eel processing has now become the main occupation, helping 500-600 people in the area have a stable income. With more than 50 families opening processing workshops in Phan Thanh craft village, on average, 3-5 quintals of finished eel are sold per day, earning a profit of 50-60 million VND per household per month after deducting labor, raw materials and supplies costs.

Thanks to the accumulated money from eel trading as well as income from carpentry and handicrafts, Phan Thanh people have built spacious houses, purchased expensive items, and many households have even bought cars. According to Mr. De, the government will continue to strengthen scientific and technical training, encourage people to focus on selling on e-commerce platforms, and build more mechanisms and policies so that Phan Thanh eels can soon be sold internationally through official channels.

Duc Hung

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