The fragrant aroma of grilled fish village Dien Van in Nghe An

Dien Van used to belong to Van Phan land, a land located at the intersection of many rivers such as Bung river, Vach Bac river, Lach Van river... Known as a land with a long history and rich and diverse cultural traditions, Dien Van also has many craft villages that live and get rich from products of the sea such as making salt, fish sauce, shrimp paste..., in which, the most prominent is the profession of grilling sea fish. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In the past, to get the amount of fish to process in a day, kiln owners had to wake up at 3-4 am, go to Dien Thanh and Dien Bich beaches (Dien Chau district) or further to seaports in Cua Lo and Cua Hoi towns; Quynh Phuong and Quynh Tien (Hoang Mai town)... to buy fish. Nowadays, to proactively source raw materials, many kiln owners have boldly invested in cold storage warehouses right at home. Fish are purchased in large quantities from offshore fishing boats, brought to the warehouse for storage to be gradually grilled. Photo: Thanh Cuong

On a normal day, each of these ovens produces no less than 1 ton of various types of fish. However, in the past two years, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, goods have been difficult to circulate and buyers have decreased, so the ovens have had to reduce their capacity, grilling an average of only about 500 kg of fish per day. The most popular grilled fish are herring, mackerel, silver pomfret, mackerel, sardines, spotted scad, and sardines. Some households also grill squid, but only a few because of the high price and the consumer market is usually mountainous districts. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Ms. Luu Thi Xuan (Trung Hau hamlet, Dien Van commune) said: "Grilling fish is very hard work, requires diligence and perseverance. Early in the morning, we have to go to work until around 6-7pm to finish the job. In the summer, the fish is dried in the sun, the grilled fish is delicious, but those who grill fish like us have to work harder..." Photo: Thanh Cuong

"... The outdoor temperature can sometimes reach nearly 40 degrees Celsius, but we still have to sit next to a hot charcoal stove to grill tons of fish. In the rainy season, although it is warm and pleasant, the fish takes longer to dry, so to make the fish deliciously cooked, it requires a longer grilling time." Photo: Thanh Cuong

To keep the fire at a moderate level so that the fish is cooked to the right degree, the griller must be experienced; the more evenly the fish is turned, the more delicious it will be. Even those who learn quickly will need a whole year to get used to the job. Each day, the grill owner pays the women from 200,000 to 250,000 VND/person. Monthly income is from 5 to 6 million VND/person/month. Photo: Thanh Cuong

After being grilled, the fish are transported to several locations in the mountainous districts of western Nghe An such as Con Cuong, Que Phong, Tan Ky, Tuong Duong, etc. Large kilns transport the grilled fish by family cars, while smaller kilns send them by passenger vans. Most of the families grilling fish in Trung Hau hamlet have been grilling fish for 3 to 4 generations. Although it is hard work, almost no one has given up the job that has supported them and their families for many years. Photo: Thanh Cuong