Unique fish dishes of Thai people in Nghe An

Thai people often choose places near rivers and streams as their residence, so aquatic food sources have become a daily routine for Thai people. Many fish dishes are prepared in their own way, becoming specialties and indispensable during holidays and Tet. Among them, grilled fish, fish salad and fish meatballs must be mentioned. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Mốc is an indispensable dish on the Tet tray of the Thai people in the Western region of Nghe An. This dish is very elaborate and time-consuming to prepare. First, people soak sticky rice until soft, pound it, then chop lemongrass, wild banana tree and mix it with fresh fish and a little wild pepper (mac khen), salt, dill leaves... Photo: Dinh Tuan

After mixing all the spices, wrap them in banana leaves or dong leaves and put them in a pot to cook for about 3-4 hours. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Mốc is used to entertain guests and to worship ancestors. Mốc has the aroma of lemongrass, wild chili pepper, the fatty taste of fish mixed in the layer of rice and banana leaves, making it difficult for anyone who eats it to forget this unique dish. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Another outstanding fish dish is "khoi pa" (fish salad). To make "khoi pa", you must choose fish such as grass carp, grass carp, lang, and herring... In addition to fish as the main ingredient, there are also loi leaves or du xoan leaves to create a sour taste and cook the fish. The loi leaves are crushed with a little white salt before being mixed with the fish. Once the fish has been washed, the crushed loi leaves or du xoan leaves will be mixed together and boiled water will be poured in to soak for about 15-20 minutes. When the fish meat has firmed up, continue to remove any remaining fish bones, if any, before cutting them into small pieces. After cutting them into small pieces, soak them in the loi leaf water and remove all the leaves. When the fish has soaked for enough time, take it out and squeeze out the water. Photo: Dinh Tuan

The next step in making fish salad is to mix together the fish meat that has been drained of its sour juice, chopped herbs, pepper, chili, soup, ground rice powder, etc. When all the ingredients have been absorbed, pour in the boiled water from the leaves of the betel tree to create the characteristic sourness of the “khoi pa” dish. Photo: Dinh Tuan

The dish “khoi pa” is often eaten with young fig leaves, figs or guava leaves to enhance the rich flavor. The processed fish salad should not be left for long, but eaten immediately with sticky rice or hot rice will be very delicious. Photo: Dinh Tuan

In addition to “khoi pa”, grilled fish is also an indispensable dish in the Tet meal and is very popular with Thai people in the Western region of Nghe An. This is the simplest dish to prepare among fish dishes. After being cleaned, the fish is mixed with white salt and other spices and then smoked. When the fish is almost dry, it is put on the hip. According to the locals, grilling fish on Tet is both to worship ancestors and to “keep the fire” to add warmth to the family. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Grilled fish is a dish used by Thai people to entertain guests during Tet. Photo: Dinh Tuan