- Grilled snakehead fish
- Grilling more than 2 tons of snakehead fish on God of Wealth day
- Square-head snakehead fish farming net
Ca Mau land with a dense system of rivers and canals, abundant shrimp and fish, of which snakehead fish is a familiar freshwater fish, present in many daily meals of every family. Snakehead fish is also associated with the story of difficult but also determined land reclamation of two ancestors To Minh Chanh and Nguyen Van Lanh about 200 years ago.
People choose big, fresh snakehead fish and release small, undersized fish back into the natural environment.
According to legend, the two men initially brought their families to the Nha Vi area (now Tran Thoi commune, Cai Nuoc district) to temporarily stay, then used dugout canoes to explore up the Bay Hap river, passed Ong Do pass, then went down the Cua Lon river to Cai Ngay river, then followed the rivers and canals to today's Thi Van canal (Thanh Tung hamlet, Thanh Tung commune, Dam Doi district). Realizing that this place had fertile land, lots of fresh water and countless fish and shrimp, the two men immediately prayed to the mountain god and water god for permission to reclaim the land and settle down in this area.
The content of the prayer is as follows: “We have come from far away, in this desolate land, not knowing what to do for a living! Please show us, To Minh Chanh and Nguyen Van Lanh, a peaceful, favorable place, fertile land so that we can reclaim and build villages and hamlets to make a living. If our wish is granted, we will build a temple to worship you to express our gratitude and vow to be kind and good, raise our children and grandchildren to follow the moral principles, and maintain the tradition in the future.”
After praying to the mountain god and the water god, the two men rowed their boat and looked around. They saw many lush plants and trees, especially many snakehead fish darting past the boat. They determined that this would be a land of "healthy people and prosperous things". They returned to Nha Vi to bring their families there to settle down.
To thank the gods, the two men built a temple to worship the Mountain God (Ong Ho Temple) and the Water God (Ba Thuy Long Temple, also known as Thuy Long Goddess). The temple to worship Thuy Long Goddess became a place to mark the process of land reclamation and expansion of the Vietnamese community in the new land. People here and neighboring areas continue to worship Ba Thuy Long, and today, the Ba Thuy Long Festival has become a national intangible cultural heritage.
Amidst that generous natural setting, grilled snakehead fish was born as an essential part of Ca Mau culinary culture. This is a rustic dish, often appearing in the simple but cozy meals of the people of the river region.
To make this dish, Ca Mau people often choose large, fresh snakehead fish from the pond and release the smaller fish that are not big enough. Keeping the small fish shows respect and awareness of protecting natural resources. After being caught, the fish will be grilled directly on dry straw, an easy-to-find ingredient after each rice harvest. The characteristic aroma of straw mixed with the smell of grilled fish creates an irresistible attraction.
Grilled snakehead fish is often dipped in chili salt or tamarind fish sauce, served with homegrown vegetables, demonstrating the maximum utilization of what nature has to offer. The sense of community is clearly demonstrated through sharing a bowl of dipping sauce in daily meals. This is a typical culinary culture, demonstrating the sharing and attachment between members or friends of the Vietnamese people.
In particular, this dish also contains the dialectical philosophy of the balance of yin and yang and the five elements. The harmonious combination of elements not only creates a unique flavor but also represents the concept of balance in the universe and life of the Vietnamese people.
Grilled snakehead fish served with vegetables.
Grilled snakehead fish also reveals the generous and loyal character of the people, expressed through the folk song: "Catch a snakehead fish and grill it/ Prepare a tray of white wine to treat a distant friend/ Pickle the water mimosa/ Eat a pair of grilled fish, even the king would crave it".
That simple, rustic folk song paints a true picture of the generosity of Ca Mau land, willing to share the most precious things with friends from far away.
Not only is it a familiar dish in daily meals, grilled snakehead fish is also respectfully chosen by Ca Mau people to worship on the day of the God of Wealth . They believe that the unique flavor and rusticity of this dish, when offered to the God of Wealth, will bring luck, fortune and success in business./.
Tang Vu Khac
Source: https://baocamau.vn/tan-man-ca-loc-nuong-trui-a39891.html
Comment (0)