For a long time, we have only heard about anchovies in the sea, the saltwater fish that produces the famous delicious fish sauce of our country, but river anchovies are really strange. In the river system of Kon Tum, this fish species is only found in the Se San River...
The majestic Se San River is not only known as the "energy river" flowing through the two provinces of Kon Tum and Gia Lai and then flowing back to neighboring Cambodia, this is also a river that nature has bestowed with many types of specialty fish such as anh vu fish, catfish, carp, goby...
Many articles have mentioned the diversity and richness of aquatic resources of this river, but for me, I am impressed by a small fish species - river anchovies.
River anchovy specialty
During a business trip to Ia H'Drai, we were fortunate to be treated by the staff of the Ia H'Drai District People's Committee to a dish that everyone calls a specialty of the Se San River - a fatty, crispy fried anchovy dish that can "fascinate" anyone from the first time they enjoy it.
For a long time, I have only heard of anchovies from the sea, the saltwater fish that produces our country's famous delicious fish sauce, but river anchovies are indeed very strange.
According to people, in the river system of Kon Tum, this fish species is only found in the Se San River, in the reservoir area of Se San 4 Hydropower Plant. River anchovies are smaller than sea anchovies, about 3-4cm long, with a clear white body and an opaque white belly like rice grains.
Ms. Bich Phuong - the cook for the staff of the Ia H'Drai District People's Committee said: Anchovies are used when they are fresh, but because anchovies spoil very quickly after being caught out of the water, people usually dry them immediately to preserve them for a long time and make them easy to transport to different places, so popular dishes made from river anchovies are often made from dried fish.
Anyone who comes to Ia H'Drai, Kon Tum province, wants to buy dried anchovies as gifts. Anchovies are a specialty fish that live in the Se San River.
Se San River anchovies can be processed into many dishes such as fried anchovies and then adding a little fish sauce, MSG, or stewed with pork belly to make a dish to eat with rice, suitable for rainy days; or fried anchovies and mixed with shredded green mango to make a salad, very suitable as a drinking dish for men... Those who come here and enjoy dishes made from anchovies are all crazy about it, and when they leave, they always ask me to leave a few kilos for them to take with them. Many people are so addicted to this dish that they even ask me to park their car or when someone comes out to deliver it for them...
Dishes made from anchovies are very rustic, the preparation is not very sophisticated, but they "win the hearts" of many diners when coming to Ia H'Drai land. It is not difficult to explain this, because first of all, this is considered a clean food because anchovies live in the wild, the main food of the fish is plankton and crustaceans, so people do not have to worry about industrial food, excess antibiotics like farmed fish or preservatives like fresh fish transported from other places. And no matter what, it cannot be denied that dishes made from anchovies are very delicious, not boring, so people can eat them forever without getting bored, without worrying about cholesterol...
Gift of the Se San River
For fishermen on the Se San River and people living in the Ia H'Drai region, anchovies are a gift from the river to their already difficult lives.
With abundant anchovy production, this river has given those who make a living in the Se San 4 reservoir a significant economic resource.
For those who specialize in catching anchovies for commercial purposes, anchovies have brought them a significant source of income; and for those who exploit fish for fish cage feeding, it also reduces part of the cost and increases profits.
It took us quite a while to find an anchovy fisherman to learn about his work, the process of making dried anchovies, and the income from this profession, but because during the day, everyone is off and only goes fishing at night, so it was not easy to meet him.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thu - a professional anchovy fisherman was "kidnapped" by us while he was busy drying a new batch of fish on the riverbank.
Mr. Thu said: There are a lot of anchovies here. In the past, people only exploited fish to make food for raising fish in cages. But later, because many people liked dishes made from anchovies, the demand for catching them for goods increased, so there were more people catching anchovies.
This job does not require much capital, nor is it very hard, but it requires diligence and care. The person doing the job only needs to invest in a few nets and a few lamps. In the evening, they go out by boat to cast the net and light the lamps. When the fish see the light, they will gather together in large schools. At around 3-4 am, they get up to pull the net.
On lucky days, we get about ten kilos, on bad days, we get 4-5 kilos. Fresh anchovies are bought wholesale for about 17,000-18,000 VND/kg, dried anchovies are priced at 100,000 VND/kg, which means we earn from 100,000-200,000 VND per day. For people with difficult conditions like us, that is enough to make us happy.
After the fish is pulled up, people have to clean the snails and other types of fish and then dry them on tarps in the sun. Choose sunny days to dry them in the sun for exactly one day, turn them over many times so that the fish will be delicious, white, fragrant, retain the original sweetness and fat of fresh fish and can be stored for a long time.
After drying, pick out all the miscellaneous fish again and pack them tightly in a dry place. Therefore, people here only dry fish during the dry season. During the rainy season, they have to sell fresh fish. Demand is lower, so income is also lower.
That is for those who catch anchovies for sale, but for most people living in the Ia H'Drai area, dried anchovies are an indispensable food in every family's kitchen. In the past, when roads were difficult to travel, especially in the rainy season, food routes were often cut off, so dishes made from dried anchovies were the mainstay.
And for families with poor economic conditions, this kind of food with a relatively cheap price helps them overcome difficult days. Therefore, many people here joke that anchovies are a gift from this land that helps them overcome difficult times and become more attached to their new homeland.
Ms. Bui Thi Hue (village 2, Ia Dom commune) shared: Every time I get my salary, I buy 3-4 kilos of dried fish to save. When it rains or when I run out of money, I just need a little braised fish with a handful of vegetables picked from the garden to have enough food for the whole family. One kilo of dried fish can be cooked dozens of times, it is cheap, clean and easy to eat. Not only my family, every family here is the same, always has a few kilos of dried fish to save for food all year round.
Not "famous", not ranked "top" like the big brothers Lang Nha, Anh Vu... this small anchovy still wins the hearts of many people when enjoying it. Anchovies are truly a gift that the Se San River has bestowed upon the residents living in the Ia H'Drai land, helping them improve their meals, have more income so that they can be more attached to this difficult land.
Source: https://danviet.vn/la-o-vung-rung-nui-non-nuoc-huu-tinh-cua-kon-tum-lai-co-mot-loai-ca-mang-ten-ca-com-ca-dac-san-20241107182227614.htm
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