About Son Tra culinary region

*Quang noodles with Son Tra sea fish invites visitors to experience at a Food Festival. Photo: Tran Van Thang*

Gifts from the sea village

Culinary culture is not only about delicately prepared dishes, but also about the story that contains the soul of the land, the layers of indigenous values, the deep memories of the community, preserved and passed down through the flow of time. Like the way the waves and long miles of making a living in the coastal village of Son Tra, leave their mark on each specialty of this land.

From fresh anchovies marinated with sea salt to create a rich, salty flavor, to dishes grilled over charcoal from old boats, reminiscent of arduous voyages at sea.

These simple gifts are both a source of life and a means of transportation, shaping local identity in harmony between humans and nature. The intertwined forest and sea ecosystems provide a rich source of organic ingredients, along with community-building festivals, further deepening the culinary story of Son Tra.

The fishing village epic was ignited from simple yet pure, sweet and nutritious family meals. On drizzly, chilly days, nothing can warm the heart more than a steaming pot of braised mackerel with pickled cabbage, mackerel porridge cooked with fresh ginger or crab hotpot with wild vegetables.

In the summer, enjoy fresh herring salad with sliced fish, mixed with raw vegetables, grated coconut and sweet and sour fish sauce, creating a cool, fresh seafood flavor. Each dish is rustic but full of traditional flavor, the culinary culture typical of the people of the coastal village of Man Thai for generations.

Every dawn on Tho Quang beach, basket boats come ashore, carrying sparkling nets full of fish and shrimp. Nearby, Man Thai seafood market attracts hundreds of tons of fresh “sea gifts” from fishing villages, where visitors can choose their own shrimp, crab, squid still blinking and have the locals cook them on the spot, fully enjoying the taste of the ocean.

Mr. Tran Van Thang, CEO of Central Kitchen, specializing in regional cuisine, commented: “The native value of Son Tra cuisine lies in its simplicity and depth, fresh ingredients, history and culture that accumulate layers of stories, the soul of the sea is the yeast that captivates people. Many attractive factors contribute to building a place that attracts and retains tourists .”

Light up the night sea

As a son of Son Tra, with many years of experience in the culinary and tourism industry, Mr. Thang clearly understands that the "treasure" of his hometown lies in the source of fresh seafood and the unique local value hidden behind each dish.

With the desire to preserve and spread the heritage of the coastal village, he initiated the establishment of the Son Tra Indigenous Culinary Tourism Club in 2025. This is a pioneering community model, gathering voluntary members who love cuisine, travel, and are attached to their hometown's identity, sharing the goal of making Son Tra an attractive culinary destination, contributing to the development of the local economy while still preserving the cultural soul.

The club focuses on building high-quality culinary tourism products, bringing many authentic and profound experiences, with the highlight being the journey "Lighting up the night sea". Visitors to Da Nang, after a long day of sightseeing, will not rush to sleep but continue with an exciting adventure with the Son Tra night sea. Watching the sea, following fishermen to catch seafood, enjoying squid instant noodles or fish hotpot by the campfire...

Mr. Thang and his members also plan to build a street food area, learning from the successful model of Thailand, which provides on-site seafood processing services, music activities, coastal village art, folk games, cooking classes, forming an attractive culinary culture "gathering place", creating many values for both locals and tourists.

These activities will be powered by modern technology, first of all the Fanpage and AI Chatbot for Local Cuisine Tourism, expected to launch by the end of 2025. The Chatbot will suggest seasonal dishes, provide information on fishing schedules, “eat with fishermen” tours, seafood shopping locations and many other attractive experiences on Son Tra beach.

The core objective is to support the people of Son Tra ward to develop the economy, improve their lives, see the value of fishing activities and the indigenous cultural stories that they are the ones who preside over, lead, and become the soul of. From there, fishermen are given more energy and confidence to wholeheartedly preserve the craft village, stay attached and find joy from the sea profession, spread positive energy to tourists, creating a coastal village tourism ecosystem that is both rich in identity and modern and fresh.

Mr. Thang shared: “We want to develop culinary activities in a profound way, conveying the unique cultural values of the land to tourists, aiming to build sustainable tourism, supporting the community to preserve traditional crafts. The consensus and companionship of the leaders of Son Tra ward as well as the tourism, culinary, and restaurant associations in the country and the region further strengthens our journey, with the mission of bringing the story of the coastal village far and wide.”

Source: https://baodanang.vn/ve-mien-am-thuc-son-tra-3303279.html