Visit Nghe An for spring, eat fragrant grilled herring on charcoal

SKĐS - No one knows when the fish grilling profession was formed in many coastal villages of Nghe An. Thanks to a special secret, the grilled herring here is fatty and has a strong sea flavor.

For many days now, fishermen in coastal communes of Dien Chau district (Nghe An) have been entering the season of catching herring using rafts. Hundreds of grills in nearly 20 coastal villages are busy, lighting fires day and night to grill fish.

At the beginning of the herring season, according to fishermen, each raft from communes such as Dien Thinh, Dien Trung, Dien Kim, Hung Hai... after each fishing trip at sea, catches from 1 to more than 3 quintals of herring.

Về Nghệ An du xuân, ăn cá trích nướng than hồng thơm nức mũi- Ảnh 1. — Collecting herring nets after a fishing trip.

In this locality, considered the "capital" of offshore seafood exploitation by raft, herring grills are still present on the coastal route Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) - Cua Lo (Nghe An) running through the coastal villages. The grills are always busy with red fire every day, with many passersby stopping to buy or sit down to enjoy grilled herring.

Dien Chau district currently has more than 400 rafts specializing in exploiting seafood (shrimp, prawns, anchovies, herring, gourami, crabs, mantis shrimp...) in the sea area from 3 to 7 nautical miles from shore. There are two herring seasons in the year, the main season from March to June, the winter season from September to October. Because of the close-to-shore fishing and short-term time, herring retains its fresh quality.

With the selling price ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 VND/kg, each trip to sea, the raft owner earns from over 1 million to 3 million VND.

Về Nghệ An du xuân, ăn cá trích nướng than hồng thơm nức mũi- Ảnh 2. — After each fishing trip, each raft of fishermen in the coastal villages of Dien Thinh, Dien Trung, Dien Kim, Hung Hai... communes can catch about 100 - 300 kg of herring.

Fishermen in coastal districts such as Quynh Luu, Dien Chau and Hoang Mai town often catch two species of herring: ve herring and bau herring. Ve herring has a small body, greenish-white scales, white, fragrant, fatty meat but has many bones. Bau herring has a round body, less scales, more meat and the meat is light red.

According to fishermen, herring from Dien Chau sea is famous for its delicious quality, loved by people for many reasons. Dien Chau sea is shallow and wide, with few big waves. These factors create an ideal living environment, rich in food for herring to grow quickly.

In particular, from March to May, the season of sea urchins ashore creates a rich food source for herring. Therefore, the fish have thick, fresh meat. Herring is the species of fish that gathers in the largest schools among fish species, which can number up to tens of millions, covering an area of one square kilometer. When encountering a school of fish, fishermen can catch tons of herring in just one trip.

Về Nghệ An du xuân, ăn cá trích nướng than hồng thơm nức mũi- Ảnh 3. — Women from the fishing village prepare herring to supply to traditional charcoal grilling establishments.

In the coastal communes of Dien Chau district, at this time, it is easy to see women, mothers, and sisters grilling sea herring with charcoal on the porch, in the yard, on the dike, or along the village road... Wherever there is a herring grill, there are many people stopping to buy or gather to enjoy it together.

After being grilled with charcoal, the herrings are tilted on containers to cool quickly, avoid being crushed and easily distributed to customers. The characteristic aroma of grilled herring spreads, attractive and far in the open space, following the sea breeze blowing inland.

Về Nghệ An du xuân, ăn cá trích nướng than hồng thơm nức mũi- Ảnh 4. — During the herring season, demand for herring increases. Fishermen quickly process the herring as soon as they land to sell to markets and processing facilities.

Old fisherman Nguyen Huu Ha, Dong Loc hamlet, Ngoc Bich commune, shared: The life of the coastal people here is closely linked to herring throughout their lives. From a young age, children in the coastal village have been fed herring by their mothers since they started eating solid foods. Gradually, herring follows the footsteps of children as they grow up and mature. Especially for coastal women in the postpartum period, herring stewed with turmeric or stewed with molasses becomes a familiar dish.

"Charcoal-grilled herring brings a special and unforgettable flavor, from the aroma, sweetness, to the firm and fatty meat. Grilled herring has become a simple but familiar dish for everyone, of all ages. The best way to enjoy grilled herring is when the fish has just been grilled, the meat is still hot, the aroma is strong and spreads in the cold air," said this old fisherman.