Need to build a brand for Phu Loi fish sauce village

(Baonghean) -For hundreds of years, the people of Phu Loi Craft Village (Quynh Di, Quynh Luu) have always been proud of their hometown's special fish sauce products. Currently, facing competition from many fish sauce brands on the market, Quynh Di fish sauce needs to be "given wings" in terms of brand...

Unmistakable taste

With a unique processing method that creates flavors different from other types of fish sauce, Quynh Di fish sauce has become famous. The years 1990-2000 were the period when the fish sauce industry in Quynh Di was most prosperous. At that time, Quynh Di fish sauce was produced and consumed as soon as it was produced. The products were exported to many northern provinces such as Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh... There are many households whose fish sauce production profession has been passed down for more than 4 generations. Therefore, in 2005, the Provincial People's Committee decided to recognize the provincial-level craft village with the name Phu Loi Fish Sauce Craft Village.

The family of Mrs. Tran Thi Ong (Phu Loi 2 hamlet, Quynh Di commune) is one of the households that have been doing this job for a long time. Mrs. Ong herself has been doing this job for over 40 years. At first, she helped her parents, then after getting married and moving out, she continued to produce fish sauce. Each year, Mrs. Ong's family produces about 1,500 liters of fish sauce from about 50 tons of fish. The fish are salted for about 12-14 months to mature and produce a fragrant, dark yellow, clear and thick fish sauce.

Producing fish sauce using traditional methods in Quynh Di.

Mrs. Ong shared: When producing fish sauce, each locality will have its own secret. Not only that, each family has its own secret that is passed down from father to son. To have a delicious fish sauce, first of all, there must be a good source of raw materials. The main ingredient that Quynh Di people often use is anchovies. The fish must be fresh and washed before being fermented. After selecting fresh fish, mix the fish with salt. During the fermentation process, to create a unique flavor, it is necessary to add additives such as roasted sesame, roasted rice, sugar... When it is sunny, stir the fish so that it is evenly cooked and after more than 1 year it can be used. In addition to the stirring method, people also use the pressing method, the time to produce fish sauce is from 15-20 months. Therefore, the fish sauce will have a richer flavor.

Because of this method of salting fish, the protein content in Quynh Di fish sauce is always above 35 degrees of protein. Many households have become rich from fish sauce production; houses and roads have been built spaciously and well-built. People's lives have improved.

Need a brand

Quynh Di fish sauce products are famous, but currently, the consumption is still everyone's business. Every year, the whole Quynh Di commune produces about 2 million liters of fish sauce. Of which, dozens of households process 50-100 tons of fish sauce/year. Small households also process about 20-30 tons of fish sauce. Quynh Di fish sauce products were consumed quite strongly in the years 2005 - 2008. However, from 2009 to now, the consumption output has decreased significantly. Especially since the fish sauce brands produced by modern technology such as Chin Su, Nam Ngu were born and advertised widely on mass media, fish sauce processed by traditional methods in general is very difficult to consume.

Some large-scale producers sell to orders, while the rest mainly retail within the district and surrounding areas. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hoang, Phu Loi 1 hamlet, Quynh Di commune, said: For a long time, our family has been selling to familiar customers. Sometimes they come to pick up, sometimes they call and we deliver. In addition, our family also has to retail at grocery stores and agents. Although we participate in the craft village, the consumption stage is still at the level of each household knowing its own. They have suggested that we register a trademark, but our family is afraid of spending money so we have not done so yet.

Mrs. Tran Thi He is a long-time fish sauce producer in Quynh Di commune. Currently, she has handed over the entire facility to her son, Nguyen Van Thanh, to manage. However, when we asked about the difficulties in consumption, Mrs. He sighed: “It is getting more and more difficult to sell Quynh Di fish sauce compared to before. This year, the price of raw materials and other costs have increased, so the price of fish sauce will also fluctuate. However, the family still keeps the selling price the same because we mainly sell to regular customers and retail through traders.

Not only is the promotion and registration of brand building weak, but the fish sauce processed by manual methods is also limited by its high saltiness, and it often takes time to prepare when eaten; when the fish sauce is left for a long time, it will turn black, which is the weakness of Quynh Di fish sauce. Moreover, the product packaging is not reasonable, the design is not eye-catching to consumers, so it is difficult to compete in the market. Most of the Phu Loi fish sauce craft villages are at a household scale, so collecting large volumes to meet large orders or penetrating supermarkets and agents is also difficult. Therefore, building, consolidating and promoting the brand for Phu Loi fish sauce products is extremely necessary.

Article and photos: Pham Bang