In Binh Thuan, when the fish come close to shore, fishermen in Phan Thiet use nets to catch them, bringing them back to eat or sell at the dock for 80,000-100,000 VND per kilogram.
In late September, the sea around Phan Thiet is calm, and many schools of fish swim into the gently sloping sandy pools near the shore to feed. In the early morning, when the sunlight peeks through the coconut trees in front of the fishing village, Mr. Truong Quang Tan, 60 years old, from Ham Tien ward, and his friends take their nets and head from Rang village towards Mui Ne to catch fish.
Mr. Truong Quang Tan (left) and his fellow fishermen with the freshly caught fish. Photo: Viet Quoc.
Looking out into the distance, the two fishermen saw ripples on the water behind a school of krill that had just moved past. "They're coming in, let's quickly cast our nets," Mr. Tan said, and he and his fellow fisherman plunged into the sea.
They waded out to a spot 15-20 meters from the shore and cast a net over 100 meters long in an arc shape. A few minutes later, the two men quickly pulled and gathered the net, which was full of scad fish. Mr. Tan and his friend removed each fish from the net, then put them into baskets, and went back out to sea to continue fishing.
In the morning, after casting five nets, Mr. Tan's group caught over 15 kg of scad fish. On the shore, some locals and tourists waited to inquire about buying them on the spot, at a price of 80,000 VND per kg. He sold a small amount and took the rest back to supply to his regular restaurant.
On Mui Ne beach, within a radius of about one kilometer, it's not just Mr. Tan's group, but more than a dozen fishermen are also catching scad. Each net cast yields 5-20 kg of scad. After catching them, they sell them at the market for 80,000-100,000 VND, depending on the size of the fish.
Fishermen head to Mui Ne beach (Phan Thiet city) to cast their nets for scad fish. Photo: Viet Quoc.
However, not everyone caught a lot of fish. Nguyen Tuan's group, residents of Mui Ne ward, arrived late and only caught about 3 kg. "We only sell the fish when we catch a lot; otherwise, we share it among ourselves to make fish salad," Tuan said.
The fish has a slender body, a pointed mouth with a red tip, and a pale yellow tail. Its body is sparsely scaled, with a gray back, white belly, and long blue stripes along both sides. Adult fish are larger than a thumb, measuring 25-26 cm in length. During calm seas, especially before a tropical depression, the fish swim in schools close to shore to feed on krill.
Mr. Nguyen Van Bay, from Mui Ne fishing village, said that the "ca doi" fish is a specialty of the coastal region. The fish meat is fragrant, delicious, and very healthy to eat. It can be cooked in many ways, such as tomato soup, braised with pepper, or deep-fried. However, the best way to enjoy "ca doi" is in its salad form, considered the "best fish salad" in Phan Thiet, even better than herring or anchovy salad.
Freshly caught catfish have just been pulled out of the nets by fishermen. Photo: Viet Quoc
After removing the head and scales from the fish, wash it thoroughly, fillet it into small pieces, then marinate it with lemon juice, add fresh chili peppers, roasted peanuts, and mix with onions, scallions, and herbs such as mint and coriander.
"Salad made with catfish, served with grilled rice paper or sun-dried rice paper rolls with various fresh vegetables and dipped in sauce, is absolutely delicious," Mr. Bay said, adding that while it's a tasty dish, the fish isn't always readily available. Connoisseurs have to wait for a time when there's a large catch to place an order and enjoy this delicacy.
Viet Quoc
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