Young rice plants during floods

Young perch caught during the rainy season and floods can be used to prepare many delicious dishes.

Young perch have soft scales, unlike other types of perch; if you rush and pull them out forcefully, the net can easily tear, and you might even scratch your hands. The meat is scarce but fatty. In particular, the soft bones provide calcium...

For the past few days, it has been raining incessantly in central Vietnam, causing floodwaters to inundate the fields. In the middle of the fields, small boats bob gently, casting their nets.

In the days leading up to the flood, which coincided with the off-season for farming, people in the countryside spent their days casting nets. It wasn't just a hobby, but a means of livelihood. Usually, within just a few hours, various sizes of fish—carp, crucian carp, catfish—were brought into the house and stored in large earthenware jars for later consumption. During the flood, family meals became even more heartwarming with dishes like fried fish, braised fish, and fish soup with starfruit... all served in rotation. On some days, they even had extra fish to sell to regular customers waiting in line.

This year, right at the start of the rainy season, the river in front of my house was teeming with young perch. For a long time, young perch have been a prized product of the flood season for residents living on both sides of the river. The fish are about the size of a thumb, dark gray in color, with shimmering pale green scales.

Skilled chefs can prepare young perch in many ways, and each dish is delicious, such as grilled, sour soup, or braised with turmeric… But the most popular method is deep-frying.

The crispy fried young perch dish is very appealing.

At mealtime, take the fish out of the water tank, still wriggling, rinse them whole with salt water, and scrub them with a bamboo sieve to remove scales, slime, and algae. Carefully remove the guts and wash them thoroughly, then drain them in a sieve.

Place a pan on the stove, add cooking oil over medium heat, and wait for the oil to heat up before adding the fish to fry. After about ten minutes, the fish will be golden brown and crispy on all sides. When cooked, some of the fish will have cracked flesh. If you look closely, you'll see the fat oozing out from the fish meat, making it very appetizing.

When I was a child, the kids in my village used to follow the adults to cast nets and catch young perch. Back home, everyone had a bucket full of fish, but their bodies were trembling. They'd rush to my mother's kitchen, sit by the wood-burning fire to warm themselves, and grill or fry the freshly caught fish right away. Grilled or fried young perch, dipped in that sweet and sour fish sauce, the taste lingered for seasons afterward.

During the flood season, strolling along the river near my house, I can easily buy half a kilo of fish to prepare various dishes. The fish meat is fragrant and sweet, creating a unique and delicious flavor. For a change of pace, wrap each crispy fish in rice paper with various fresh vegetables and thinly sliced ​​mango, then dip it in fish sauce – it's incredibly appetizing, perfect for weight loss while still being filling.

In my hometown, family meals on rainy and flood days are even more complete and fulfilling with dishes like young perch – a simple dish but full of the flavors of home...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/ro-non-ngay-lut-3145123.html