Countless times in the past
In August (lunar calendar), the Mekong River flows in, making the Mekong River red with alluvium. However, the water has not yet risen strongly, many fishermen are waiting for the flood to make a living. They prepare boats, traps, fishing rods, nets, just waiting for the water to "rise" "above the shore" to go to the fields to catch fish and shrimp.
Remembering the old days when there were big floods, natural aquatic resources were very abundant. The river catfish spawned in great numbers. This fish belongs to the catfish family. The reason people call it catfish is because the "ears" on their bodies have two "congenital" black birthmarks. They live and are distributed in the Mekong River basin, in the four countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. In Vietnam alone, the catfish lives and is distributed in the Tien River, Hau River, Vam Nao River or in deep, fast-flowing waters.
Mr. Lam Van Hoang (Hai Hoang, residing in My Hoa Hung commune, Long Xuyen city ) is a "fisherman" who specializes in diving for deep-river fish. He recalls: "About 20 years ago, this species of fish reproduced very much. When floods came, they often lived in river sections with whirlpools or eroded bays. However, the mullet fish has omnivorous habits, is cunning, and is very difficult to catch."
To catch the mullet, the divers must use a large-sized fishing gear to “catch” it right in the whirlpool. Then, they carefully take a deep breath, then “crawl” all the way to the bottom of the river to gather the net, for fear that this fish will “escape” outside. “If we stand on the boat and dive headfirst into the net, we are afraid we won’t be able to catch them. When encountering fishing gear, mullet are so smart that they dive close to the ground to find a way to escape,” said Hai Hoang.
According to him, in the past, few people ate small catfish because the meat was loose and not tasty. People mainly ate large fish weighing 5-10kg because the fish meat was very tough and delicious. To catch them, in addition to casting nets and casting gill nets, people also came up with the idea of fishing. The favorite bait for catfish is mainly ripe bananas, stuffed with roasted bran.
Increasingly rare
Nowadays, the river goby fish is becoming increasingly rare in the wild due to overexploitation by electric shock. Especially around May (lunar calendar), the time when fish breed, electric trawlers and electric shock boats "sweep" the river, causing a sharp decrease in aquatic resources. To survive, the goby fish must seek refuge in deep river sections, ideally in the Vam Nao River area.
In addition, they often stay deep at the bottom of fishermen's rafts to take shelter and eat dropped bait. Knowing this habit, many "anglers" compete to cast their lines, sit and "wait for the right time" for the fish to bite, but most of them get fish as small as a finger. "The big catfish are very smart. At first, we caught a few, but later, this species of fish did not bite anymore even though we caught "sharp bait" such as: pig intestines, chicken intestines, shrimp, prawns..." - Mr. Bay Tam (an "angler" in My Hoa Hung commune) revealed.
The wild catfish is becoming increasingly rare, so its price ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 VND/kg, higher than some other catfish species such as: Pangasius, snakehead fish, basa fish. Many people have also come up with the idea of raising this fish species mixed with pangasius in ponds. However, the meat of farmed catfish is not as delicious as that of wild catfish.
Mr. Tung (a fisherman who casts a trawl net on the Vam Nao River) said: “The farmed catfish lives in stagnant water, and when cooked, it smells like seaweed. The river catfish lives year-round in flowing water, so its meat is white, tough, and delicious, second only to wild catfish.”
Customers who want to eat 5-10kg river catfish must make a reservation with the “fishermen” in advance, otherwise they might get river fish to enjoy. Because this fish is currently scarce, restaurants and eateries compete to buy it to prepare for customers. The day we saw a plump, white river catfish flopping around on a basin owned by Ms. Tuyen (a fish seller at the river wharf near O Moi ferry). Within seconds, someone bought it.
“The fish weighs 5kg, priced at 120,000 VND/kg. People buy it to make fish sauce hotpot. These days, the fish is very rare. Once in a while, fishermen cast their nets and catch a big one” – Ms. Tuyen happily said.
River catfish can be used to make many delicious dishes, such as: fish sauce hotpot, sour hotpot, dipped in fermented rice, grilled, braised with salt, braised with pepper, braised with soy sauce, fried fresh... Each dish has its own unique and strange flavor, but must be fresh fish.
The most popular dish is thinly sliced river catfish dipped in fish sauce hotpot. The fragrant flavor of fish sauce mixed with the fatty meat of catfish makes diners remember it forever. The next dish is catfish fillet cooked in sour hotpot and eaten with fresh vermicelli.
To make the soup more special, you need to take hard coconut water, along with spices, tamarind, lemongrass, chili, coriander, Vietnamese coriander, and basil. When the fire is boiling, quickly open the lid. Pick up a piece of firm, cooked fish and dip it in fish sauce with chili peppers. The sweet, sour, and spicy flavors "run through" the tip of the tongue, making us miss this rustic dish.
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