Steaming fish and squid in Quy Nhon: Keeping the fire burning in the kitchen filled with the smell of the sea

Quy Nhơn - Ảnh 1. — Fish and squid are sprinkled with salt before steaming to clean them - Photo: DUNG NHAN

Nearly half a century has passed, but the job of steaming fish at Quy Nhon port is still the main source of income for dozens of local households, quietly and resiliently amidst the urban life that is changing every day.

Inside the small rooms of less than 40 square ^meters , the air is always filled with heat and the characteristic fishy smell of sea fish. Batches of anchovies, mackerel, striped tuna, or batches of fresh squid are stacked in large steamers, placed directly on red-hot charcoal stoves.

The temperature in the kitchen sometimes exceeds 50 ^degrees Celsius, sometimes reaching 70 ^degrees Celsius, causing those who are not used to it to retreat because of the suffocation.

Fish and squid are bought by traders from the port and brought to steamers here for processing, then transported to district markets.

To keep the fish sweet, rich and not broken, the craftsman must have experience in adjusting the amount of water, steaming time and fire temperature, all "weighed" by eye and by feeling after many years of attachment.

Quy Nhơn - Ảnh 2. — Workers at the squid steaming furnace clean the fish through steps such as scaling, gutting, then neatly arranging them in bamboo baskets waiting to be steamed - Photo: DUNG NHAN

The workers are mainly women and older workers. Each working day starts at 4am and lasts until all the goods are steamed.

Even though they have to work in a hot environment, their hands and feet are often burned by heat, they still stick with the job, because the salary of 200,000 to 400,000 VND per day is also a good income.

In the cramped space, where the heat from the stove mixes with the smell of squid, that seemingly harsh environment is actually a familiar place to make a living for dozens of workers here.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, who has been in the profession for more than 30 years, shared while folding up the fish: "If you don't love it, you can't stick with it. Only after a long time have you understood that this profession has its own joys. Every day you work hard, then when you see the fragrant, firm fish coming out of the oven, you see that the effort is worth it. The profession doesn't make you rich, but it's enough to make a living and to raise your children to study properly, that's enough."

Perhaps it is this attachment that has kept the red fire in the steamers here burning for decades, not only to cook the fish, but also to feed a generation of workers quietly working by the sea.