People in the fishing village burn fire to make the special dish 'sky fish' for Tet

TPO – The round fish is often called 'heavenly fish' by the people of Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An). This is a unique dish that is very popular, especially during Tet.

12/27/2024 | 08:49

TPO – The round fish is often called 'heavenly fish' by the people of Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An). This is a unique dish that is very popular, especially during Tet.

At this time, people in Nghi Thuy fishing village (Vinh city, Nghe An) are busy steaming the specialty of catfish. Every day, some households process 300-500 kg of fish to meet the Tet market demand.

From 3am, Ms. Vo Thi Thu (born in 1975) and her daughter went to the wharf, waited for the fishermen's fishing boats to return, and chose to buy batches of fresh, large, and delicious fish. They brought the fish home, washed them, let them drain, and then began shaping them.

“The fish is selected to be fresh and delicious, with firm meat. After being cleaned with salt, it is bent so that the fish’s mouth completely covers the tail to form a circle. The process of bending the fish requires skill and meticulousness to ensure the fish is symmetrical and does not break the fish bones. The fish is then steamed until cooked, placed on an iron grill to drain and then steamed,” said Ms. Thu.

Fish are placed on iron grills to be steamed.

To create a sweet aroma and eye-catching yellow color for the fish, the secret of the people of Nghi Thuy fishing village is to smoke it with sugarcane residue (skin) in a tightly closed barrel. “The fish is smoked with sugarcane residue, so it will be fragrant and sweet thanks to the remaining molasses in the residue, the layer of sugarcane peel permeates each fish. After smoking, the fish will turn a delicious golden yellow color. A batch of fish is smoked for about 10 minutes. When smoking fish, you must pay attention to the temperature, do not let it get too hot, the scales will be scorched black, making it look unsightly. When touching the fish and feeling that it is dry and no longer sticky, take the fish out of the charcoal stove”, Mr. Dinh Van Suu (born in 1973, residing in Nghi Thuy ward) shared.

“Salmon fish sells very well during the Tet holiday season. There are times when the products are not enough to sell to customers. Many tourists are interested in ordering because the fish is delicious, has a unique shape, and can be stored for a long time, the longer it is stewed, the more delicious it becomes. Many people also choose to buy it as Tet gifts or send it abroad…”, Ms. Thu said.

The fish after being smoked has a golden yellow color.

Catfish is processed all year round, however, the busiest time is from November to February of the lunar calendar. During Tet, catfish prices range from 120,000 to 150,000 VND/kg.

Catfish is a unique and very popular dish, especially during Tet.

In the beliefs of coastal people, the fish symbolizes the round sky. Therefore, in the Tet tray, besides green banh chung, almost every house has a plate of fish, praying for a new year of calm seas and fishermen catching lots of shrimp and fish.

Thu Hien

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-dan-lang-chai-do-lua-xong-dac-san-ca-ong-troi-dip-tet-post1704451.tpo