When you go to Tuy Phong, remember to try the oily scad fish!

I often tell friends and business partners this if anyone is planning a trip to Tuy Phong. However, everyone says I'm being unnecessary, because it's precisely this local specialty that motivates them to visit Tuy Phong, even if only once!

Hearing that, I was overjoyed, even though I didn't know if it would suit their taste, but it was enough to show that this tiny fish with a yellow stripe running along its back had become a specialty of my hometown's coastal region. Oilfish are found everywhere, but those caught in the Tuy Phong sea area are especially delicious. Many people say that oilfish are a wonderful gift from the ocean to Tuy Phong, especially the Binh Thanh sea area. Perhaps this is because the Binh Thuan sea is one of the rare sea areas in the world with upwelling zones. According to the "Upwelling Phenomenon in the Vietnamese Sea" recorded by the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology, the Binh Thuan sea has a rare upwelling zone due to the convergence of the effects of the southwest monsoon, current regime, coastal and seabed topography, and seawater stratification, which other sea areas in other provinces cannot have. This upwelling zone has low temperatures, clear water, and carries many nutrients from the seabed, making the Binh Thuan sea area very cool in the summer. The cool, nutrient-rich upwelling water also helps many organisms thrive, making the Bình Thuận sea area a rich source of aquatic resources with many rare, fresh, and economically valuable species, including the oilfish. Besides the advantage of the upwelling water, according to explanations from long-time residents of Tuy Phong, perhaps thanks to the rocky cliffs around La Gàn cape, the oilfish here have exceptionally delicious and sweet meat, unmatched anywhere else.

The meat of the Tuy Phong oil palm is delicious and sweet, unmatched by anywhere else.

There are many types of scad fish, such as hammerhead scad, slimy scad, oval scad, horizontal scad, and gap-tooth scad... Depending on the type, scad can be prepared into many different delicious dishes such as soup, stew, fried, grilled... all fragrant and flavorful. Among them, the oily scad is the most economically valuable type; it is considered a delicacy because of its delicious flavor, scarcity, and difficulty to find. Oily scad is caught near the shore; it is a small fish, the largest only about the size of an adult's palm. The meat of this fish can be called exquisite: white, firm, fragrant, and with an unmistakable sweet taste. This type of fish can be caught in nets in most coastal areas, but for some reason, anyone who has tasted the oily scad there in Tuy Phong will find that it tastes better elsewhere.

The tiny fish with a yellow stripe running along its back has become a local specialty.

The oilfish (also known as "liet chi" in some places) can be prepared in many ways. The simplest is to cook it lightly with tomatoes and ripe pineapple, adding onions, cilantro, and a spicy pepper. For people in coastal areas, a hot pot of oilfish soup and a plate of fragrant chili fish sauce is enough to make them eat a lot of rice, especially in the cool months at the end of the year. Another dish made from oilfish that everyone raves about is grilled oilfish over hot charcoal. Each fish is turned evenly on the grill, the fat melting and the fish turning golden brown and fragrant. Even from a distance, the special aroma of this fish wafts to the table, making hungry people drool. The grilled fish is served on a plate with tamarind sauce and fresh vegetables – it's incredibly delicious. This is also considered a culinary specialty of the sunny and windy Tuy Phong region, leaving many people longing for more. There is another dish that coastal people often prepare in their daily meals, which is braised catfish. It has to be braised really well and spicy to be delicious. Just mentioning it makes me "gulp" and go buy it right away, because I happen to love this delicacy from my hometown.

Grilled scad fish served with tamarind sauce is considered a specialty of Tuy Phong.

According to fishermen in Tuy Phong, scad fish are abundant from the ninth lunar month until the Lunar New Year. Because scad fish are highly sought after by tourists from other provinces and cities when visiting Tuy Phong, most restaurants and eateries stock up on frozen scad fish to serve large numbers of customers during holidays and festivals. And of course, the price of scad fish is not cheap, so in the last months of the year, locals often replace scad with black scad to satisfy their cravings – another irresistible local specialty. This specialty, along with other rustic seafood dishes, is a strength of the area, causing tourists to return to Tuy Phong many times just to enjoy them. Thanks to this, Tuy Phong's tourism industry has experienced stable growth in recent years, with an increasing number of visitors coming to visit Co Thach Pagoda, the Seven-Color Rock Beach, the Ta Nang – Phan Dung route, or explore Cu Lao Cau Island.

The scad fish is a favorite among tourists from various provinces and cities whenever they visit Tuy Phong.

However, for Tuy Phong's tourism to develop sustainably and professionally, the district needs a long-term strategy, focusing on tourism products, especially regional cuisine; establishing linkages to form tours and routes with other tourist destinations in the province and neighboring provinces... Simultaneously, it is necessary to promote the beautiful scenery and people of the area, so that every visitor to Tuy Phong is not only impressed by the natural beauty with its blue sea and golden sunshine, the fascinating colorful pebble beaches, and the serene atmosphere of Co Thach… but most importantly, by the incredibly delicious and sweet oilfish.

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