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When it rains, the fields are greener, the rivers are fuller... I still remember the first rains of the season, the most cheerful of all were us country children back then: I remember the times we bathed in the river, the times we played in the water. Being from a poor family, while playing with the waves and the water, I did not forget to find something for lunch, for the evening meal.

I remember, when the first rains of the season returned, schools of goby fish flocked to the ponds and canals to lay eggs... We kids jumped into the canals to play and catch goby fish for the family meal.

The first rain of the season is also the time when the goby fish are full of eggs. Photo: HUYNH LAM

A net about ten meters long was spread across the fish passage - this passage, we, who were born in the fields, from the countryside, knew very well. Just leave it alone, go and play with the waves to our heart's content. When my stomach felt hungry, I turned back, and when the net was spread, there were a lot of fish. The fish with shiny bellies and eggs were caught in the net. I carefully removed each fish, avoiding the fish spines to prick my hand, otherwise it would hurt to the bone! The fish my mother brought back were processed into many dishes, but the dish that every time I mentioned it made my stomach juices secrete continuously and I craved it was the sour soup of fish cooked with young tamarind leaves.

While my mother was cleaning the fresh green goby fish, I hurried to the tamarind tree to pick some young green tamarind leaves. My mother said that cooking sour soup with goby fish with young tamarind leaves would make the soup sour and have a good effect in relieving colds, in the hot climate of the first rains of the season.

Chot fish can be processed into many delicious dishes, such as braised chot fish with lemongrass and chili, but the most special dish is sour soup with chot fish and young tamarind leaves. Photo: HUYNH LAM

Young tamarind leaves are put into the pot and do not forget to crush a few lemongrass stalks, chop a few chili peppers and put them in the pot of boiling water. A pot of water with the aroma of lemongrass, the sour taste of young tamarind leaves and the spiciness of chili will be the accompaniment for the pot of sour soup with goby fish. When the water boils, it is time to put the goby fish full of eggs in and season to taste. When scooping the soup into a bowl, do not forget to add a few thick-leafed perilla leaves and a few slices of chopped buffalo horn chili. Sour soup with young tamarind leaves will be more delicious and flavorful when choosing the fish full of eggs, dipped in a special sauce, including crushed salt and buffalo horn chili, adding a little sour soup, so that the saltiness of the salt, the spiciness of the chili, the sourness of the soup blend together. What could be more delicious, right?

Coming to Ca Mau this season, the season of the first rains, visitors should not forget to enjoy a bowl of sour fish soup cooked with young tamarind leaves, to remember the delicious taste of this rustic dish./.

Dao Minh Tuan

Source: https://baocamau.vn/nho-hoai-canh-chua-ca-chot-la-me-non-a32705.html