Specialty with strange appearance in Phu Yen, visitors sweat to enjoy

Phu Yen is known as the "capital" of ocean tuna in Vietnam with an annual output of several thousand tons. If you come to Phu Yen for tourism, you will be able to enjoy a series of "famous" delicacies made from this fish. Among them, it is impossible not to mention the specialty of tuna eyes stewed with Chinese herbs (also known as "ocean headlights").

Ms. Tram Anh - owner of a restaurant specializing in tuna dishes in Tuy Hoa City said that tuna eyes can be processed into many dishes such as porridge, sour soup, braised with pepper, etc., but the most delicious and popular is still stewed with Chinese herbs.

To achieve the best quality dish, Phu Yen people often choose the eyes of tuna weighing over 40kg. Each eye is quite large, about the size of a rice bowl, weighing 1 - 3 taels.

Before cooking, the fish eyes will be pre-processed, deodorized by blanching in boiling salt water, then washed, removing the blood vessels. After that, people put the fish eyes in a ceramic pot (or jar), add some Chinese herbs such as jujube, wolfberry, ... or vegetables, season to taste and steam for about 20 - 30 minutes.

“The pot used must have a wide mouth and be made of clay to retain heat for a long time, keeping the food hot and ensuring delicious flavor,” said Ms. Tram Anh.

In addition to fish eyes, depending on the taste and preferences of each region, people also add meat and tuna loin to the stew, making the dish richer and more fatty. When eating, diners can also use green mustard and chopped perilla to avoid boredom.

Many diners commented that although tuna eyes stewed with Chinese herbs is a famous specialty in Phu Yen, not everyone is brave enough to try it because the appearance of this dish at first glance is quite scary.

However, those who are used to it will feel the fresh, fatty taste of tuna eyes with the strange crunchy cartilage, mixed with the sweet, fragrant broth.

In Phu Yen, fishermen usually start their tuna fishing journey in January every year. However, April is the peak season. This is also the time when tuna is of good quality, suitable for tourists to visit and experience attractive dishes.

Tourists can find and enjoy tuna eye stewed with Chinese herbs at some familiar local eateries such as: Ba Tam tuna restaurant (Le Duan street, Tuy Hoa city); Tram Anh tuna restaurant; 139 Tuna Eye restaurant; Tuna on Nguyen Hue street... with prices around 40,000 - 50,000 VND/serving.