In January, there are countless shrimp in Da Nang sea. Early in the morning, boats come ashore with baskets of bright red shrimp. Mr. Huynh Van Muoi (born in 1966, Man Thai ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city) stood waiting, then took a shrimp and put it in his mouth to take a bite. Sweet shrimp means there is meat, making the fish sauce delicious and sweet.
He bought some and made salted dried shrimp. This is a dish he learned from his father, Mr. Huynh Van Mua - a famous fisherman in the coastal village of Man Thai.
You don't need to wash the shrimp you bought because it will spoil the flavor. Prepare the ingredients including coarse salt, ginger, galangal, garlic, fresh chili and a little cold rice. The spices, including coarse salt, are also crushed to quickly penetrate the shrimp. Then mix everything together until the shrimp and the ingredients are well blended, then pour it into a ceramic or glass jar to make the fish sauce more flavorful. After about 5 days, open the jar of shrimp and smell the fragrant aroma. Taste it, the shrimp has a salty, sweet and spicy taste.
Delicious bowl of salted shrimp paste from Mr. Huynh Van Muoi in Man Thai fishing village - Da Nang
Mr. Muoi said that everyone in the fishing village knows how to make this dish. Whether it is delicious or not depends on the skill in choosing the shrimp and the meticulousness in pounding the ingredients so that they are not too crushed or too large.
Salted shredded pork floss can be eaten in a fancy way or in a "poor" way. In a fancy way, find a piece of pork belly, boil it, and dip it in the sauce. In a "poor" way, just eat shredded pork floss with hot rice or add a piece of boiled sweet potato leaves. Either way, you'll finish a few bowls of rice.
Nowadays, the fishing village has changed a lot compared to when Mr. Muoi was a child. High-rise buildings are built close together. His family still keeps a small yard in the back of the house to make fish sauce and maintain the fish sauce making profession. He is proficient in all kinds of fish sauce, from anchovy fish sauce, crab sauce, shrimp paste, etc.
He believes that salted dried shrimp is easy to make, not complicated and does not require much effort. He has also demonstrated making salted dried shrimp for tourists at the Da Nang Museum or made it at home for students to experience.
"Food is not just for eating, it is a living capital, a cultural characteristic of each region, and needs to be preserved" - Mr. Muoi said.
Mr. Huynh Van Muoi (Man Thai ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city; third from right) instructs how to make fish sauce.
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