This fish species has never "broken its promise".
The tenth lunar month is also the season when fish migrate to the rivers in the Mekong Delta. The fish flow from the upper reaches of the Mekong River, distributing themselves to the major rivers throughout the delta region.
Shrimp and fish also follow the water flow downstream into rivers and canals. Of these, more than half of the fish that arrive are snakehead fish. Anyone who goes to the Mekong Delta and hasn't tasted snakehead fish is considered to have had an incomplete trip.
Why do people in the Mekong Delta call the linh fish the soul of the flood season? Because this fish has never broken its promise to them. Every year, when the fields are flooded, people see the sight of this fish again, as the most special sign of the year.
The snakehead fish is also unique because of its unusual growth process. "Every year, from the spawning grounds in Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia), schools of snakehead fish eggs drift downstream along the Mekong River."
The eggs hatch as they drift along, and by the time they reach the Mekong River, they have become tiny schools of fish swimming downstream in the silt-laden water. The fish grow larger through a "nomadic" process, then infiltrate the canals and rice paddies to feed on decaying straw and crop residue after the harvest (excerpt from the book "Grains of Mud from a Thousand Miles" - Le Quang Trang).
During this season, snakehead fish is also a delicacy that generous people in the Mekong Delta prioritize when treating guests from afar. From Long An , Dong Thap, Can Tho all the way to An Giang, along the way, when stopping at restaurants or rest stops, you'll find snakehead fish served with water hyacinth flowers, water lily flowers, and wild vegetables... on the menu everywhere.
Depending on the size of the snakehead fish (its growth stage), people in the Mekong Delta have different ways of preparing delicious dishes. The beginning of the flood season is the time when the rivers of the Mekong Delta welcome an endless supply of young snakehead fish.
The tiny snakehead fish possesses a delicious sweetness. This sweetness is perhaps partly due to its upkeep in the muddy, reddish-brown alluvial waters of the delta. Snakehead fish are also among the cleanest river fish. Their bellies, besides the straw from the delta, contain only a few tiny plankton.
Delicious dishes of the delta
Young snakehead fish stewed in a light sauce, served with wild vegetables. A handful of crisp water lily blossoms, a few slightly bitter sesbania flowers that leave a sweet aftertaste when dipped in the stewed fish sauce. The young snakehead fish, only the size of a little finger, is tender in the mouth, seemingly going to disappear quickly, yet the rich flavor lingers. Therefore, few people who eat young snakehead fish can forget it quickly. The longing for this quintessential dish of the Mekong Delta can stir and turn into a craving, strangely enough!
Young snakehead fish, battered and deep-fried until crispy, served with sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh vegetables, is also a delicious dish. This dish should be eaten immediately after frying; pick up a piece of fish that has just drained of oil, wrap it with a leaf of vegetable; the crispness of the batter quickly gives way to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth fish inside.
For a slightly more elaborate and festive meal, there's snakehead fish hotpot served with water hyacinth flowers, water spinach, water lily flowers, etc. A lavish feast during the flood season would be incomplete without a pot of snakehead fish hotpot, lacking its most vibrant element. Therefore, snakehead fish hotpot remains a dish highly recommended by tourists through word of mouth.
For those who love to drink, grilled young snakehead fish, each one plump and flabby with a belly full of fat, emitting a fragrant aroma, is a must-try. Whether it's a windy afternoon or a late night in the countryside, as long as there's a batch of snakehead fish dripping fat from the charcoal grill, the conversation continues like a folk song, seemingly without end. And once it's over, a bite of the delicious dish, a gulp of rice wine, and a satisfying "slurp"—it's pure bliss, like touching the soul of the homeland.
The evening meal on the flooded river, perhaps bobbing on a boat drifting along the waterways of the marshland, fills the air with the aroma of braised snakehead fish in various ways: braised with pepper, braised with salt, braised with light seasoning, braised with starfruit, braised with pineapple… That smell is enough to make those from the countryside, no matter how far they travel, still cling to the thread of nostalgia for their homeland.
When the large, firm bones of the snakehead fish are ready, people in the Mekong Delta make fermented fish paste. This fish paste, fragrant with the aroma of roasted rice flour, is considered the "finest fish paste" of the delta region. Wild vegetables and water lilies dipped in this fermented fish paste are as flavorful as the warmth and hospitality of the people of the Mekong Delta. Because, when guests return home, the gifts they often send are several jars of this famous snakehead fish paste!
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/ca-linh-mua-nuoc-noi-3144014.html
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