Fishermen in the village light fires to steam their specialty 'heavenly fish' during Tet.

TPO – The curled-up fish, often called "heavenly fish" by the people of Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An province), is a unique and very popular dish, especially during Tet (Lunar New Year).

December 27, 2024 | 08:49

TPO – The curled-up fish, often called "heavenly fish" by the people of Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An province), is a unique and very popular dish, especially during Tet (Lunar New Year).

At this time of year, people in Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An province) are busy steaming their specialty fish, "ca thuong." Each day, some households process 3-5 quintals of fish to meet the demand for the Tet holiday market.

From 3 a.m., Ms. Vo Thi Thu (born in 1975) and her daughter go to the dock, waiting for the fishermen's boats to return, selecting and buying fresh, large, and uniformly sized scad fish. The fish are brought home, washed clean, and left to drain before the shaping process begins.

“The fish are carefully selected for their freshness and firm flesh. After being rinsed with salt to clean them, they are bent so that the mouth completely encloses the tail, forming a round shape. The bending process requires skill and meticulousness to ensure the fish is symmetrical and the bones are not broken. The fish are then steamed until cooked through, arranged on an iron rack to drain, and then smoked,” Ms. Thu explained.

The fish are arranged on a metal grill to be smoked.

To create the sweet aroma and attractive golden color of the smoked fish, the secret of the fishermen in Nghi Thuy village is to smoke them using sugarcane bagasse (or peel) in a sealed barrel. “The fish are smoked with sugarcane bagasse, so they become fragrant and sweet thanks to the remaining molasses in the bagasse, and the sugarcane peel permeates each fish. After smoking, the fish turn a beautiful golden color. A batch of fish is smoked for about 10 minutes. During the smoking process, you must pay attention to the temperature; it shouldn't be too hot, otherwise the scales will char and look unappealing. When the fish feels dry and no longer sticky to the touch, you can remove it from the charcoal stove,” shared Mr. Dinh Van Suu (born 1973, residing in Nghi Thuy ward).

“Steamed fish sells very well during the Lunar New Year holiday season. At times, we can't produce enough to meet customer demand. Many tourists enjoy ordering them because the fish is fragrant, delicious, has a unique shape, and especially because it keeps well and tastes even better the longer it's stewed. Many people also choose to buy them as New Year's gifts or send them abroad…,” Ms. Thu said.

After being steamed, the fish turns a golden yellow color.

Fish dishes are available year-round, but the busiest period is from November to February in the lunar calendar. During Tet (Vietnamese New Year), fish prices range from 120,000 to 150,000 VND per kilogram.

"Cá thửng" is a unique and very popular dish, especially during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

In the beliefs of people in coastal areas, the pufferfish symbolizes the round sky. Therefore, in the Tet (Lunar New Year) feast, alongside green sticky rice cakes, almost every household has a plate of pufferfish, hoping for a new year of calm seas and abundant catches of shrimp and fish for the fishermen.

Thu Hien

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-dan-lang-chai-do-lua-xong-dac-san-ca-ong-troi-dip-tet-post1704451.tpo