Salty dried shrimp paste

In January, krill are incredibly abundant in the waters of Da Nang . Early in the morning, boats dock, bringing with them baskets of bright red krill. Mr. Huynh Van Muoi (born in 1966, Man Thai Ward, Son Tra District, Da Nang City) waits, then picks up a krill and bites into it. If the krill is sweet, it means it has meat, making it suitable for making delicious and sweet krill paste.

He bought some shrimp and made quick-salted shrimp paste. This is a recipe he learned from his father, Huynh Van Mua, a renowned fisherman in Man Thai fishing village.

The shrimp paste doesn't need to be washed after purchase, as this will spoil the flavor. The ingredients include coarse salt, ginger, galangal, garlic, fresh chili peppers, and a little leftover cooked rice. All the spices, including the coarse salt, are finely ground to help them absorb into the shrimp paste more quickly. Then, mix everything together until the shrimp paste and other ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture into a ceramic or glass jar to allow the paste to absorb the flavor. After about 5 days, open the jar and you'll be greeted with a fragrant aroma. Taste it; the shrimp paste has a balanced salty, sweet, and spicy flavor.

The delicious quick-salted shrimp paste made by Mr. Huynh Van Muoi in Man Thai fishing village - Da Nang.

Mr. Mười said that everyone in the coastal village knows how to make this dish; whether it's delicious or not depends on the skill in choosing the shrimp paste and the meticulousness in grinding the ingredients so that it's neither too finely ground nor too coarsely ground.

Salted pork floss can be enjoyed in a fancy way or in a more "poor man's" style. For a fancy meal, you can get a piece of pork belly, boil it, and dip it in the sauce. For a "poor man's" meal, you can simply eat the pork floss with hot rice or some boiled sweet potato leaves. Either way, you'll easily finish several bowls of rice.

Nowadays, the fishing village has changed a lot compared to when Mr. Muoi was a child. Tall buildings have sprung up everywhere. However, his family still keeps a small yard behind the house to make fish sauce and preserve the traditional craft. He is skilled at making all kinds of fish sauce, from anchovy fish sauce, crab fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc.

He considers quick-salted shrimp paste to be easy to make, not complicated, and not time-consuming. He has also demonstrated how to make quick-salted shrimp paste for tourists at the Da Nang Museum and at home for students to experience.

"Food is not just for eating; it's a way of life, a unique cultural aspect of each region, and it needs to be preserved," Mr. Mười said.

Mr. Huynh Van Muoi (Man Thai ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city; third from the right) demonstrates how to make fish sauce.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/man-ma-ruoc-muoi-xoi-196240229202407674.htm