Tuna eyes are a delicious specialty dish often served to tourists visiting Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh. If you have the chance to try braised tuna eyes with green peppercorns in Quy Nhon, you'll be like me, exclaiming, "It's truly a treat!"
The South Central coastal region is considered the capital of the ocean tuna. These fish typically migrate seasonally in schools and are only found in deep waters.
Quy Nhon's ocean tuna is a specialty that brings high economic value and gives rise to many unique dishes.
Many countries around the world highly appreciate this type of fish. However, they only use the fish meat for food processing, most commonly in canned goods, sashimi, or sushi.
This fish is characterized by its delicious, nutritious meat and its very large, bright eyes. Vietnam is one of the very few countries that uses tuna eyes to create this exquisite dish.
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| Tuna eyes have become a specialty of coastal regions in Central Vietnam such as Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, and Khanh Hoa . The image shows tuna eyes braised with green peppercorns. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Previously, tuna eyes were a delicacy "exclusive" to the people of Phu Yen. When they first discovered this type of fish, the locals were not yet proficient in processing and preparing it, so the fish still retained a strong, unpleasant fishy smell. The large eyes of the tuna were also not used by the locals.
By 1999, the people of Phu Yen had found a way to prepare fish eyes, resulting in a surprisingly delicious dish.
Currently, this unique dish has become a specialty of coastal regions in Central Vietnam such as Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, and Khanh Hoa.
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| In Quy Nhon, tuna eyes are prepared in many ways, such as braised with green peppercorns, stewed with Chinese herbs, cooked with giang leaves, or in tuna eye hotpot… (Photo: Linh Chi) |
Tuna eye dishes are typically served in earthenware bowls to retain their warmth. To obtain truly delicious tuna eye dishes, the eyes are usually harvested from tuna weighing 40kg or more.
With large tuna, the eyes can be as big as a rice bowl. A characteristic of tuna eyes is that they have little meat, a crunchy cartilage, and a rich, unique flavor.
The initial preparation of the fish eyes is crucial. They are usually blanched in boiling salted water, then rinsed thoroughly and seasoned with various spices. The dish is typically served with two types of green vegetables: finely chopped mustard greens and perilla leaves.
In Quy Nhon, tuna eyes are prepared in many ways, such as braised with green peppercorns, stewed with medicinal herbs, cooked with giang leaves, or in tuna eye hotpot…
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| The initial preparation of the fish eyes is very important. (Photo: Linh Chi) |
Having had the opportunity to enjoy braised tuna eyes with green peppercorns in Quy Nhon, I exclaimed, "It's truly a worthwhile treat!"
The main flavor of this dish is determined by the fresh green peppercorns. The spicy taste of the peppercorns helps to neutralize the fishy smell of the fish eyes.
Besides green peppercorns, this stew also includes many other ingredients to make the broth richer, such as ginger, chili peppers, shallots, celery, etc.
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| Diners enjoy braised tuna eyes with pepper at a restaurant on Nguyen Trung Tin Street, Nguyen Van Cu Ward, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
Speaking to a reporter from TG&VN , Ms. Thu Sang, manager of a restaurant selling tuna eye dishes in Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh, said that Quy Nhon's tuna eye dish is a unique culinary specialty. Each customer at the restaurant will enjoy one bowl (equivalent to one tuna eye), which is just enough to avoid feeling satiated.
However, according to her, some customers can enjoy eating two fish eyes at a time because of the dish's appeal.
"The tuna eye dish is a must-try for tourists visiting Quy Nhon. I hope that with this unique and distinctive dish, more domestic and international tourists will come to this land known as the 'land of martial arts and literary arts'," said Ms. Thu Sang.
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| The eye of the tuna from Quy Nhon is a unique and unparalleled culinary delight. (Photo: Linh Chi) |
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