Cua Lo fishermen's 'god fish' in high demand near Tet

Currently in the peak season of processing catfish to serve the Tet market of Nghi Thuy fishermen (Cua Lo town). Photo: Thanh Phuc

When the weather gets cold, it's time to get in.anchovy season. In addition to familiar seafood such as crab, squid, crab, silver pomfret..., this season, the ships also have a special fish - anchovy. The price of fresh anchovy at the port is only about 50,000 - 60,000 VND/kg, which households buy, process into dried anchovy and sell at double or even triple the price.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Manh, Thanh Cong block, Nghi Thuy ward, the household that processes the most fish in the ward, said: "It's just about making money. The price of processed fish is high, but making the finished product is very complicated and elaborate."

The process of processing catfish is very elaborate. Photo: Thanh Phuc

At this time, to prepare for tLunar New Year of the Tiger,Fish processing households work from early morning to late at night to meet the demand of wholesale customers. Ms. Manh said that from 4am she went to the fishing port to wait for the boat to return. When the fish is brought ashore, she chooses fresh and delicious ones. If the fish is not fresh, it cannot be bent and will break when steamed or grilled. When the fish is brought back, it must be washed in salt water 4-5 times. When washing, you must be gentle and skillful so that the fish is no longer slimy but the scales do not fall off. "The most difficult part is shaping the fish, how to bend it into a round, symmetrical shape, with the mouth holding the fish's tail but not breaking the bones," Ms. Manh added.

Nghi Thuy anchovy has eye-catching colors and a distinctive sweet taste. Photo: Thanh Phuc

After being steamed until cooked, the fish is placed on an iron grill. When the charcoal stove is just burning, the fish grill is lifted up to dry. During the drying process, the fish must be turned evenly, paying attention to the moderate charcoal temperature, not too hot so that the scales retain their bright color. When the fish feels dry to the touch and is no longer sticky, the fish is lifted off the charcoal stove, placed on an iron grill and transferred to the stage of smoking the fish with sugarcane pulp. The fish becomes fragrant and sweet thanks to the remaining molasses in the pulp, the layer of sugarcane pulp permeates each fish. In particular, thanks to the sugarcane smoke, the fish has a very eye-catching golden yellow color.

The processing is elaborate, time-consuming and labor-intensive, so currently, Nghi Thuy ward only has a few households following the profession. However, in return, according to religious beliefs, the fish symbolizes the round sky and is a delicious dish, so almost every family's Tet offering tray has a plate of fish stewed in molasses. Therefore, fish is very popular during Tet.

Currently, the price of smoked fish is from 120,000 - 150,000 VND/kg. On the days before Tet, it is expected to increase by 30,000 - 50,000 VND/kg. Photo: Thanh Phuc

“Normally, the price of fish is only 100,000 - 120,000 VND/kg, but near Tet, it goes up to 150,000 - 180,000 VND/kg. Whatever batch people make, traders come and buy it all in bulk. The anchovy season lasts for 3 months, with an average consumption of about 6-7 tons of anchovies per month, and in the month near Tet, the consumption is stronger, about 15-20 tons of fish per month,” said Mr. Nguyen Cuong - Head of Nghi Thuy fish wharf market management board.

In addition to wholesale imports for traders to sell at traditional markets, during Tet, many restaurants, hotels, and some kitchens come to the place to buy fish to cook in clay pots to sell to people for Tet offerings. Many people also order catfish as Tet gifts, sending them to relatives at home and abroad. Therefore, catfish is very easy to consume, and its price is higher than other types of fish...

The fish can be kept in the freezer for a whole month, so many customers have come to buy fish for Tet. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Proud to be a unique delicacy in the coastal region, contributing to the traditional Tet flavor, the households processing fish in Nghi Thuy are always conscious of preserving their profession. Although the processing steps are done manually, they take a lot of time, but that does not mean steaming the fish with machines, drying it with electric ovens, or sweetening or coloring the fish with industrial chemicals. "Only traditional manual processing can produce delicious batches of fish, with the fragrant smell of charcoal, smoke, and the sweetness of fresh sugarcane. If we replace it with industrial methods, the characteristic delicious taste will no longer be preserved. We have to preserve our profession," Ms. Manh added./.