Unlike regular fish sauce, which is made from spotted fish, herring, anchovies, etc., white fish sauce is made from krill (shrimp). Besides Quynh Phuong, considered the "homeland" of fish sauce, many other communes such as Quynh Long, Tien Thuy, Son Hai, Quynh Di (Quynh Luu); Dien Ngoc, Dien Bich, Dien Van (Dien Chau)... also produce this specialty.
The traditional method of processing in the region involves trapping, compressing, and fermenting. The harvested shrimp are washed clean and then salted in earthenware jars or vats. A thin layer of salt is spread over each layer of shrimp, 1-1.5 cm thick; the layers of shrimp and salt alternate. After the shrimp and salt are placed in the jar or vat, a plastic sheet is placed over them, the lid is sealed tightly, and they are left outdoors to dry in the sun. After about 1.5-2 months of salting, a wooden utensil is used to stir the shrimp, about three times a week. When the shrimp liquid slowly seeps into the bamboo sieve placed on top of the shrimp, a ladle or coconut shell scoop is skillfully used to pour it into bottles. This is done every few hours. These bottles of fish sauce are sealed with dried banana leaves and then sun-dried – this is the white fish sauce, which at this point has a slightly yellowish-lemon color. In recent years, people have also been producing white fish sauce by drilling a hole in the bottom of a large earthenware jar and using a spout with a cloth filter bag attached to the end to collect the liquid that seeps out. According to the locals, this method makes the fish sauce more fragrant and clearer. With this process, they have created a product with unique characteristics of Nghe An province. While Phu Quoc fish sauce has a deep amber color and Nha Trang fish sauce has a straw yellow color, Nghe An's white fish sauce has a light lemon yellow color with high protein content and a rich, pure sweet flavor without the need for any additives.
Text and photos: Ngoc Anh
