Deep processing of mud-free eel to enhance the product

After many years of hard work in the South, in 2021, Mr. Nguyen Minh Ha (born in 1970, village 5, Chau Binh commune, Huong Son) returned to his hometown to live. Determined to get rich in his hometown, in early 2022, he boldly invested nearly 600 million VND to renovate his family garden, build a system of 10 modern eel tanks, equip well water filters... nurturing the aspiration of economic development from mud-free eels.



Currently, Mr. Ha has 10 tanks with more than 20,000 eels growing healthily.

Mr. Ha shared: “While working in the South, I had the opportunity to visit many mud-free eel farming models of local people. Witnessing the potential economic development from this model, I had a burning desire and idea to bring the model back to my hometown.”

Determined to realize the idea of ​​starting a business with a mud-free eel farming model, Mr. Ha searched for sources of quality eel fry in locations such as Duc Tho, Hong Linh Town. After some research, he decided to buy eel fry of about 500 pieces/kg. According to his experience, eels at this stage are big enough to switch to feeding on bran, and are also of a suitable size for easy care and management in the new farming environment.

Every year, Mr. Ha's facility harvests about 3.5 - 4 tons of eel meat.

After 3 years of perseverance and dedication to the mud-free eel farming model, Mr. Ha now has 10 tanks with more than 20,000 eels growing healthily. Sharing about this journey, he said: “After the initial farming season with many surprises, up to now, I have accumulated a lot of practical experience. The most important thing in mud-free eel farming is to strictly control the quality of the water source, ensuring that the living environment is always clean. Food also needs to be carefully selected, suitable for each stage of eel development. In addition, observing and detecting early signs of abnormality in eels is also very important to have timely treatment measures to avoid damage. Thanks to applying the right techniques and always learning and improving, my eel herd has developed quite well, has less disease and has a much more stable yield than before.”

Currently, Mr. Ha's family's eels are mainly sold locally, in some districts in the province and Nghe An. Each year, the facility harvests about 3.5 - 4 tons of eel meat, with a selling price of about 120,000 VND/kg, bringing in revenue of nearly 500 million VND.



After being carefully processed and marinated, Mr. Ha put the eel into the dryer at the right temperature.

Not stopping at the initial success with eel meat, Mr. Ha has nurtured the idea of ​​deeply processing eel products, in order to diversify products, increase economic value and expand the consumption market. From that concern and enthusiasm, in mid-2023, he began to research and study processing methods, especially how to make dried eel, a product that brings difference and convenience to consumers.

"When I started to nurture the dried eel product, I worried a lot about the seasoning step. How can the dried eel still retain its characteristic, delicious flavor, while achieving the right amount of toughness, without being dry or crumbly? I experimented with many recipes from ingredients such as garlic, chili, etc. At the same time, I listened to the opinions of relatives and friends to gradually perfect the flavor. This process requires meticulousness, patience and even failures to find my own secret, creating a dried eel product that bears my own mark and conquers the taste of consumers" - Mr. Ha shared.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Ha's dried eel products have the right dryness while still retaining nutrients.

Not only has he painstakingly researched the secret of marinating to create a unique flavor for dried eel, Mr. Ha has also invested in facilities and equipped machines to serve the production process. Accordingly, he has invested in specialized dryers to help the eel achieve a moderate dryness while still retaining nutrients. Along with that, he has purchased additional freezers, vacuum machines, etc. to ensure food hygiene and safety. This thorough investment demonstrates a long-term vision and determination to bring high-quality dried eel products to the market, meeting the increasingly demanding needs of consumers. Thanks to that, last March, the product was recognized as a 3-star OCOP.

It is known that on average, 1kg of fresh eel meat will produce 200 grams of dried eel meat. Currently, the dried eel product is being sold at the facility for 220-240 thousand VND/200 gram box. Although it has good quality and a unique flavor, this is still a fairly new product on the market.

Mr. Ha hopes that in the coming time, dried eel products will continue to be promoted more widely.

Sharing about this, Mr. Ha expressed: “Although I believe in the quality of the product, I realize that promoting and introducing dried eel to consumers is still difficult. Therefore, I will try to promote the product so that consumers can know and experience this unique dried eel dish, thereby contributing to affirming the brand and expanding the market for hometown products”.

Minh Ha dried eel is the first eel product of Huong Son district to be honored with OCOP certification, affirming a new step in enhancing the value of local agricultural products. This is a unique product with a delicious and distinctive flavor. In the coming time, the locality will continue to accompany and support to help the product continue to develop and expand the consumption market...

Mr. Nguyen Song Hao - Vice Chairman of Chau Binh Commune People's Committee

Video: Minh Ha dried eel production process (video provided by the facility).

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/che-bien-sau-luon-khong-bun-de-nang-tam-san-pham-post285453.html