Grilled snakehead fish in the Mekong Delta.

Grilled snakehead fish cooked over straw is one of the appealing dishes of the people in the Mekong Delta, especially after the rice harvest. With straw readily available in the fields, they grill the fish, creating an irresistible aroma.

Snakehead fish are covered with straw and then burned for about 15 minutes in a large fire - Photo: DANG TUYET

From the latter half of March to the beginning of April each year, many rice fields in the Mekong Delta are in full swing with the winter-spring rice harvest. After the rice is harvested, the fields are covered with dry straw, perfect for grilling snakehead fish.

In the past, when freshwater fish were abundant, people working in the fields would gather together to catch snakehead fish in the ditches and grill them right on the edge of the rice paddies.

These days, it's rare to catch fish readily available in the fields, but the people in my village still remember the taste of snakehead fish grilled over straw. They often buy fish in advance and save it for later, so that as soon as the rice fields are harvested and the straw is dried in the sun, they rush to the dike to grill the fish.

Grilled snakehead fish cooked over a large straw fire, then left to cook over the remaining straw embers for about 10 minutes - Photo: DANG TUYET

The grilled snakehead fish, cooked to perfection with cracked skin, emit a fragrant aroma across the field - Photo: DANG TUYET

Wash the snakehead fish thoroughly to remove the slime, leaving the head and scales intact. Then, insert a 50cm long piece of young bamboo from the fish's mouth to about the middle of its belly, leaving a section of bamboo about a handspan long to stick into the ground.

Next, cover the fish with dry straw and burn it for about 15 minutes. Then, let the straw embers sit for another 10 minutes. After that, scrape off the black dust, and the fish is ready to eat.

Grilled snakehead fish served with fresh vegetables - Photo: DANG TUYET

As the layer of straw ash slowly dissipated, the grilled snakehead fish were cooked through, their skin cracking to reveal golden-brown flesh, emitting a fragrant aroma.

The villagers would simply brush off the black charcoal residue and eat it right away while it was still hot. The aroma of grilled fish, blended with the subtle scent of straw, made this rustic country dish surprisingly delicious.

Perhaps that's why, whenever visitors have the chance to return to the Mekong Delta, they are treated by their hosts to a simple dish of grilled snakehead fish cooked over straw, a dish they remember fondly because of the warmth and the simple, rustic spirit it embodies.

Simple and unpretentious, the taste of home simply travels far and wide.

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DANG TUYET

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ve-mien-tay-nuong-ca-loc-dong-20250330161745737.htm