Hope fish sauce will reach the world like pho and banh mi

Tôi hy vọng nước mắm Việt sẽ xuất hiện nhiều hơn trong bếp ăn thế giới - Ảnh 1. — Fish sauce making process reintroduced at the festival - Photo: NHAT XUAN

For the first time, Ho Chi Minh City organized a specialized event about fish sauce, attracting a large number of visitors and tourists to experience. The event took place at the old Tax Trade Center (141 Nguyen Hue) from October 23 to 27, gathering 150 booths, introducing a variety of fish sauces and dishes made from fish sauce from all three regions.

Tôi hy vọng nước mắm Việt sẽ xuất hiện nhiều hơn trong bếp ăn thế giới - Ảnh 2. — Fish sauce is vividly displayed at the exhibition - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung, representative of Phu Ha fish sauce stall from Phu Quoc, said that her family has been making fish sauce for more than 40 years. As the third generation to continue the tradition, Ms. Dung hopes to not only expand the domestic market but also bring Vietnamese fish sauce to the world.

"We are investing more in production and achieving international certifications to gradually realize this dream," she shared.

Meanwhile, Ms. Le Thi Thuy Hang, representative of Hong Hanh fish sauce brand, commented that current consumer trends, especially young people and families, tend towards fish sauce with a lighter saltiness and milder taste.

To meet this demand, the brand has launched many fish sauce lines with protein levels from 15 to 40, ensuring a rich, sweet aftertaste while still preserving the traditional fish sauce identity.

At her booth, Ms. Hang also recreated the fish sauce production process using wooden barrels containing fish, helping customers better understand the processing. She explained that after being caught, the fish will be salted and aged for 12-15 months.

"In the future, the company hopes to expand the export market, so that traditional Vietnamese fish sauce will be known to more international friends, enhancing the Vietnamese fish sauce brand," said Ms. Hang.

From a consumer perspective, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang (living in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that her family always prioritizes choosing traditional fish sauce, which does not contain additives or flavorings, and eats it in family meals.

"Fish sauce has become a specialty of my family's meals. I came to the festival hoping to learn more and find more fish sauce from different regions that is suitable for my family," said Ms. Trang.