Hoa Long minced fish sauce has a rich, fragrant taste of the sea.

(NLĐO) - This rustic dish has been associated with the people of Hoa Long village (now part of Tam Long ward, Ho Chi Minh City) for nearly a hundred years.

From everyday meals to feasts for ancestral worship ceremonies and Tet (Lunar New Year), minced fish paste has become a specialty that anyone passing through this area buys as a gift.

Traditional dishes

With the skillful hands of the women and mothers, Hoa Long minced fish sauce has a distinctive and unmistakable flavor, becoming a renowned specialty of the old Ba Ria - Vung Tau region.

Elderly people in Hoa Long still often pass down the story of how the craft of making minced fish paste originated around the 1930s-1940s. When fishermen returned from fishing trips with abundant catches, the remaining small fish were minced, salted, and fermented in earthenware jars. Initially, they ate it gradually, then sold at the market to exchange for rice, meat, and other necessities. Over time, through skillful and creative hands, it became an indispensable dish in every family meal.

A bowl of minced fish sauce, simmered and served with winged beans and cucumber, also makes for a delicious meal with a rich, rustic flavor.

Over time, the craft of making minced fish sauce has taken root in daily life, becoming a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. Many families have now gone through two or three generations making minced fish sauce, preserving the methods and secrets of their ancestors from their impoverished days.

Although it has its own secret recipe, the ingredients for minced fish paste include fish sauce, papaya, chili peppers, garlic, sugar, etc. These ingredients are readily available in the gardens of Hoa Long, and the preparation method is mainly based on experience passed down from generation to generation. Minced fish paste also easily combines with other foods, reflecting the sincere and open nature of the people of Southern Vietnam.

The younger generation is carrying on the tradition, turning minced fish sauce into a brand and a tourism product.

The fish used to make fish sauce are usually scad or mackerel, caught from the waters of Phuoc Hai and Long Hai to ensure freshness and quality. After salting, the fish are filleted, the flesh is mixed with roasted rice flour, and left to ferment for two months to absorb the aroma of the rice flour before being fermented into fish sauce.

The secret to creating a distinctive flavor.

Ms. Tran Thi Hong Tuyet (also known as Bay Gai), now over 65 years old and with over 45 years of experience in making minced fish sauce, says that according to tradition, to make delicious minced fish sauce, carefully selected fish sauce is minced together with green papaya. After mincing, the mixture of fish sauce and papaya is mixed with other seasonings such as garlic, chili, sugar, and MSG, which not only enhances the flavor but also makes the dish more appealing. Papaya not only gives the fish sauce a crunchy texture but also reduces the saltiness, balancing the taste.

Mrs. Bay Gai's minced fish sauce is sold at Hoa Long market (Photo: Minh Thanh)

Depending on the taste preferences of each family and the creativity of each fish sauce maker, the proportions of the spices will be adjusted, creating a diverse range of flavors in Hoa Long minced fish sauce.

In particular, the papaya preparation process is considered the most time-consuming, as it involves many steps. The papayas used for making the fermented papaya must be ripe, still crisp, and harvested from the tree no more than a day before being peeled and soaked in diluted salt water to remove the sap. After washing, they are drained, chopped into thin strips, squeezed to remove excess water, and then mixed with the fermented fish sauce.

These ingredients create the distinctive flavor of minced fish sauce.

According to Mrs. Bay Gai, when mixing fish sauce and papaya, there must be the right ratio. If too much fish sauce is added, the dish will be too salty and difficult to eat, while if it's too bland, it will spoil easily and taste unpleasant. After mixing, wait a few hours for the fish sauce to absorb the seasonings and begin to ferment before it's ready to eat.

While seasonings enhance the flavor, the color, crispness, chewiness, and subtle sweetness of the papaya add to the dish's appeal and aesthetic appeal. This is what creates the unique flavor of Hoa Long minced fish sauce: salty but not harsh, fragrant but not pungent, and with a sweet aftertaste, reflecting the land's resilience despite its harsh weather. A bowl of minced fish sauce with garlic and chili, eaten with hot rice, herbs, boiled meat, or as a dipping sauce for fried fish, offers a complete taste of the sea.

Today, younger generations continue the tradition, not only preserving the recipe of fermenting the fish sauce for 12 months, but also gradually building a brand, turning the traditional minced fish sauce of their ancestors into a unique tourism product. Besides minced fish sauce made from fish, there is also a vegetarian version to suit the tastes and needs of customers.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/mam-bam-hoa-long-thom-nong-vi-bien-196251122124232454.htm