Mastering a craft: The man obsessed with fish sauce in Nam O fishing village.

At the age of 75, when he should have been resting and enjoying a peaceful life in the countryside, Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh chose to take on the responsibility of leading the Nam O Traditional Fish Sauce Village Association (Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City), with countless unnamed tasks.

Concerned about the taste of fish sauce from my hometown.

"On August 30th, the General Assembly of the Nam O Traditional Fish Sauce Village Association re-elected me as Chairman for another term. It's not for personal gain, but to show my descendants that there's still someone here, even at an advanced age, who is still full of passion to help take the Nam O fish sauce brand even further," Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh began his story. Ten years as Chairman of the Association have been ten years in which Mr. Vinh has devoted himself wholeheartedly to bringing the fish sauce village, which was on the verge of decline, back to its former glory, with steady steps.

Mr. Vinh said that to make authentic Nam O fish sauce, producers must "care for the fish sauce as if it were their own child."

Photo: Hoang Son

Discussing the craft of making Nam O fish sauce, Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh recounted in detail the milestones from its glorious past as a tribute to the king to its decline. Mr. Vinh said that after 1975, driven by profit, many people in Nam O abandoned fish sauce making to pursue firework production. In 1995, when the government banned firework production and implemented a policy of occupational retraining, the villagers of Nam O began to consider reviving the fish sauce making craft. In 2003, Mr. Vinh became one of the first artisans in the village to receive formal training in fish sauce making from the relevant authorities. Two years later, the fish sauce making craft began to reappear with the participation of 38 households who had received retraining.

"The traditional fish sauce making craft is deeply ingrained in my consciousness, so from the past to the present, I have always eaten fish sauce that I made myself. The way people in Nam O make fish sauce is to combine 10 cups of anchovies with 3 cups of Sa Huynh salt ( Quang Ngai ), fermenting it for 12-24 months to produce fish sauce. Making delicious fish sauce requires many techniques and unwritten experience, but it is absolutely essential to adhere to traditional principles. Only by preserving those values ​​can our product survive with consumers. The Village Craft Association was established in 2007, and by 2012 it had attracted 120 households producing fish sauce," Mr. Vinh said.

The Nam O fish sauce making craft is being revived, and artisan Tran Ngoc Vinh is working tirelessly with various sectors to build a common brand for the entire village. He has taken the fish sauce of the association members to promote it countless times. Having served as Chairman of the Association for 10 years, Mr. Vinh says his greatest joy was in 2019 when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Nam O fish sauce making craft as a national intangible cultural heritage. Last June, the Ministry of Science and Technology granted geographical indication protection for Nam O fish sauce.

"I am just a small spark…"

Mr. Vinh recounted that when he was elected Chairman of the Nam O Traditional Fish Sauce Village Association, he declined the position due to his declining health. However, the members and the new Executive Committee encouraged him to continue, hoping to pass on his passion to the younger generation. He said that the village's traditional craft has stabilized, but for it to develop sustainably, there must be successors, so that fish sauce making is not just a profession for the elderly.

Ngoc Vinh fish sauce brand is favored by many people because of its rich, distinctive Nam O fish sauce flavor.

PHOTO: HOANG SON

It's gratifying that, thanks to his training, many people have mastered the art of fish sauce making and become members of the Association. One of his outstanding students is Mr. Bui Thanh Phu (40 years old), owner of Huong Lang Co fish sauce facility. A passionate individual who wants to bring the distinctive salty taste of his homeland to the world, even abroad, Mr. Phu has made many innovative approaches to reach customers, such as: making souvenir fish sauce bottles (60 ml) for tourists to take home, making fish sauce powder to mix into fish sauce coffee… "Mr. Phu's methods are very commendable. Phu has promoted and marketed Nam O fish sauce further. His facility also welcomes groups of visitors to experience the fish sauce making process, and from there, tourists can also visit and learn about the history of this ancient village of Nam O…", Mr. Vinh commented.

For decades in the business, Mr. Vinh has always believed that fish sauce is a food consumed regularly by many people, so its production must ensure health safety. His Ngoc Vinh brand of fish sauce is always pure, "produced for the right number of days and months" with the "four no's" principle (no synthetic protein, no preservatives, no additives, no artificial coloring). He always instills this spirit in his members, especially the young people following in his footsteps, because he worries that due to the rush to market, some people might add substances, even if permitted, to "age" the fish sauce. He also emphasizes that becoming a member means being responsible for protecting the reputation and brand of Nam O fish sauce, not joining the Association to profit from government support.

"To preserve the identity of Nam O village, we must first preserve the traditional fish sauce making craft. Nam O fish sauce is facing a golden opportunity, having achieved accolades that few other traditional craft villages nationwide can match. In 2024, the village produced 300,000 liters of fish sauce for the market. The association aims to reach approximately 1 million liters per year within 5 years. There is still much work to be done. I am just a small spark that has been ignited; whether it will burn brightly or not depends on the villagers, especially the younger generation…," Mr. Vinh shared. (to be continued)

Passionate about preserving the heritage of ancient villages.

Along with the national intangible cultural heritage of fish sauce making, Nam O village, with its 500-year history, also boasts many historical and cultural relics, such as: the temple of Lady Lieu Hanh, the ruins of Princess Huyen Tran, the ancient tombs of the village's ancestors, the mausoleum of the Whale God, and Cham relics… For many years, as the Deputy Head of the Ward-level Relic Management Board and the Head of the Fishing Festival Organizing Committee, with his extensive knowledge of the customs and spiritual rituals of the coastal village, Mr. Tran Ngoc Vinh has organized unique cultural activities that are distinctly Nam O.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhat-nghe-tinh-nguoi-say-mam-o-lang-bien-nam-o-185241221184519323.htm