The taste of the sea in a drop of fish sauce from my homeland.

Fish sauce is a hallmark of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Each drop of fish sauce encapsulates the flavor of the sea, embodying the hard work, experience, and love of the craft of generations of people in coastal regions.

Long Thuy (Binh Kien ward) is a long-standing and famous fish sauce making village in the eastern part of Dak Lak province. The rich, delicious, and unique flavor of Long Thuy fish sauce is created by the harmonious blend of fresh anchovies caught from the Long Thuy sea area combined with Tuyet Diem salt (Cau River).

Pure Tuyet Diem salt has a high crystallization rate, few impurities, and is stored by locals for at least 12 months before processing to remove metal ions that could affect the flavor.

Ms. Le Thi Kim Ngan introduces her family's fish sauce product.

“Freshly caught fish are washed with seawater, salted at a ratio of 3 parts fish to 1 part salt, then placed in fermentation vats and pressed down with a grate, a support bar, and heavy stones to keep the fish submerged in brine for 12-18 months,” shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a fish sauce maker in Long Thuy. According to this 67-year-old woman with nearly 50 years of experience, to make delicious fish sauce, besides each person's own secret recipe, the anchovies must be caught in the right season in the Long Thuy sea area, when the fish are mature and plump, to produce a rich, subtly sweet fish sauce with a characteristic yellow color, high protein content, and an irresistible aroma that captivates diners.

According to Luong Thao Nguyen, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Kien Ward, the Long Thuy fish sauce village has gone through more than 50 years of ups and downs, closely linked to the main livelihood of fishermen in the coastal area. To date, Long Thuy village has more than 50 traditional fish sauce production facilities, including 8 fish sauce products recognized as OCOP 3-star. In 2023, the People's Committee of Phu Yen province (formerly) recognized Long Thuy Fish Sauce Village.

Over six years ago, Vo Nhat Linh, son of Nguyen Thi Huong (owner of Hong Gia Phuc fish sauce production facility), decided to quit his job in Ho Chi Minh City with a salary of tens of millions of dong to bring his wife and children back to his hometown to take over the family's traditional fish sauce production facility. "My family has a long tradition of making fish sauce. Maintaining and developing our ancestors' traditional craft is also a heartfelt wish of my family," Linh shared.

Not content with simply inheriting the family business, Mr. Linh was always concerned about how to create a reputable, high-quality fish sauce product that would both ensure consumer health and expand the market. With this in mind, he discussed with his parents expanding the factory, investing in machinery, and applying scientific and technical advancements to production. He installed a coarse filtration system to remove impurities and equipped the facility with a bottling line… Along with that, the packaging and labels were redesigned to be more eye-catching and modern, creating a competitive advantage when bringing the product to market. In particular, Mr. Linh steadfastly adheres to the "three no's" principle of the Hong Gia Phuc fish sauce brand: no preservatives, no artificial colors, and no artificial flavors. Each year, the facility supplies approximately 80,000 liters of fish sauce to the market. In 2023, his family's Hong Gia Phuc fish sauce product was awarded a 3-star OCOP certification by the People's Committee of Tuy Hoa City (formerly).

Mr. and Mrs. Vo Nhat Linh pour fish sauce into bottles.

Sharing the same love for the profession and determination to stay connected with the flavors of the sea in his hometown like Mr. Linh, Mr. Truong Ba Hung - the eldest son in a family with four generations of fish sauce processing - also chose to return to his hometown after many years working in Ho Chi Minh City.

Since 2019, Mr. Hung and his wife returned to their hometown to continue the family business, maintaining the traditional craft. Not only did he preserve the craft, but he also proactively registered trademarks and licenses, improved product designs, and expanded the market. As a result, the facility sells approximately 500 liters of fish sauce per month; in 2023, the product achieved OCOP 3-star certification. “In traditional crafts, the most important thing is dedication and meticulous attention to detail, from quality to design, to maintain reputation and ensure long-term growth,” Mr. Hung shared.

Young people like Linh and Hung, along with the elders in Long Thuy village, continue to preserve the authentic flavor of their hometown fish sauce – a savory taste distilled from the sea, the sun, the wind, and the love of the villagers. Thanks to this, Long Thuy fish sauce has reached far and wide, embodying the essence of the Nẫu region and establishing itself alongside famous traditional fish sauce brands from many other coastal areas.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/kinh-te/202510/vi-bien-trong-giot-mam-que-huong-3ae0eb8/