When you go to Bau Non, remember the freshwater perch…

As the shared "rice granary" of five communes: Xuan Hoa, Nam Anh, Nam Xuan, Van Dien, and Nam Thanh (Nam Dan district), Bau Non is also famous for its specialty, the common carp. In September and October of the lunar calendar, when the rice plants begin to shed their husks, the weather turns cool, and a gentle breeze carries the white rice husks across the fields, providing an abundant food source for shrimp and fish. The voracious common carp benefit from this, accumulating fat reserves for the winter. At this time, the fish are plump and golden, with very soft bones and fins.

Bau Non is a large lake formed by the ancient Lam River's dead valley, covering several thousand acres. In the past, during spring and summer, the lake's water level was low enough to cultivate rice along the banks, while in autumn and winter, the water level rose and the waves became strong. Besides rice cultivation, the people along the banks also engaged in fishing for the lake's natural resources. During the reign of King Le Than Tong (1635-1642), a retired official from Huong Lam commune, Huong Lam Marquis Nguyen Van Lam, saw that Bau Non was more advantageous for agriculture than fishing. Furthermore, he noticed that every year during the rainy season, Bau Non would flood, causing disasters. Therefore, he submitted a petition to the court requesting permission to drain Bau Non for rice cultivation.

With the king's approval, he mobilized the people to dig a canal from Bau Non to the mangrove canal in Hung Nguyen district, which then flows into the Lam River. Thanks to this, Bau Non has now become a fertile rice field. The contribution of Huong Lam Hau to the district's economy was immense. Bau Non is famous for its delicious perch, so much so that its reputation reached the capital Thang Long. A court attendant reported this to King Ly Cao Tong (1178-1210), who ordered Non Giang commune to bring Bau Non perch to Thang Long as a tribute. Transporting the perch from Non Giang commune to the capital was incredibly arduous, not unlike the hardship Mai Thuc Loan faced carrying cloth as tribute in the past.

At that time, in the royal palace, there was a maid named Le, from Non Giang village, who specialized in serving the king's lunch.noon time(meaning she was the midday maid). Seeing how hard her villagers suffered in offering fish to the king, during a visit home, she suggested to the villagers that they dig a pond, fill it with cow and buffalo dung, and then raise fish in the pond for a while before transporting them to the capital. The fish that ate the cow dung were no longer as plump as when they lived in the rice fields; their bones were hard, and their flesh was dry. When the king found the fish no longer as delicious as before, he asked the reason. She explained that now, with so much rice being grown, more cow and buffalo dung had to be applied to make the rice grow well, and the fish that ate the dung had become thin. She then asked to abolish the offering ceremony to ease the people's suffering, and the king agreed. When she died, the people of Non Giang village carried her coffin back to her hometown for burial on Cup hill near her former residence and erected a temple to commemorate her kindness to the villagers, called the Temple of the Maid Ngo. They also named the field where the fish were raised before being offered to the king the land of the Maid Ngo. Today, Bau Non is the shared "rice granary" of five communes: Xuan Hoa, Nam Anh, Nam Xuan, Van Dien, and Nam Thanh, because the land here is fertile, producing lush green rice and corn year-round. However, the people here haven't forgotten their fishing tradition. In September and October of the lunar calendar, when the rice plants begin to shed their husks, the weather turns cool, and a gentle breeze carries the white rice husks across the fields, providing an abundant food source for shrimp and fish. The voracious fish are thus nourished, accumulating fat reserves for the winter. At this time, the fish are plump and golden, with very soft bones and fins. After catching the fish, they are skewered and grilled over glowing charcoal. The golden-brown, glossy fish emit an irresistible aroma that even the most refined person cannot hide. After a hard day's work, gathering around a warm, glowing fire in the evening, enjoying the flavor of grilled snakehead fish with garlic fish sauce, paired with white wine – even a king would have to leave his throne to join in the fun. Grilled snakehead fish braised in soy sauce and turmeric leaves is also a favorite dish for many because of its unique flavor. Or snakehead fish soup with mustard greens and chrysanthemum greens, both nutritious and delicious, appealing even to the pickiest eaters.

Tran Hai