Tet flavor with Vu Dai braised fish

The land of Dai Hoang used to be very poor, the low-lying fields could not grow rice, so fish became the main source of income for the people here. Pork at that time was a very luxurious food for the people of Dai Hoang, so they thought of ways to prepare fish dishes instead of meat to have a warm Tet, full of the flavor of their homeland.

Usually around the 23rd - 25th of the twelfth lunar month, villagers will drain the pond and divide the fish according to the population, so every household has a pot of braised fish to eat during Tet. In the old Dai Hoang, Tet may lack banh chung and meat, but the pot of braised fish is an indispensable dish on the ancestral altar and the Tet meals of the villagers. Therefore, braised fish on Tet has become a custom of the people of Nhan Hau, past and present.

Mr. Tran Xuan Thuc, Chairman of Nhan Hau Fish Braised Production and Trading Association, said that fish braising has been a poverty reduction profession in Nhan Hau for many years. “The profession feeds people”, so generations of Hoa Hau people today are always attached and devoted to the profession. Therefore, Nhan Hau fish braising profession is increasingly developing and expanding.

Nhan Hau fish braising profession has actually only developed strongly in the last ten years. On average, each year, the whole village consumes 30-40 thousand pots (mainly during the Lunar New Year), with an estimated revenue of over 20 billion VND. With the economic value it brings, Nhan Hau fish braising profession has attracted a large number of young workers in the village to stick with the profession.

Currently, the entire Nhan Hau commune has 20-30 large establishments, operating regularly and consistently (mainly concentrated in village 1 and village 4). As a dish that does not use preservatives, Nhan Hau braised fish cannot be produced indiscriminately, but is mainly produced according to orders. The peak consumption period for Nhan Hau braised fish products starts from the 1st of December until the end of January.

One of the famous families in Vu Dai village is Mr. Tran Huu Hoan's family, who has specialized in braising fish for over 20 years. He shared that the recipe for making a perfect braised fish dish is a family "secret" that has been passed down from generation to generation.

According to Mr. Hoan, the fish to be braised must be black carp, weighing over 4-8 kg. After cleaning the carp, remove the head and tail, take only the middle part, cut into bite-sized pieces, drain and marinate with traditional spices. The best pot to braise the fish is a clay pot because it retains the aroma of the fish.

"The spices that make up the traditional fish stew are galangal, ginger, chili, lemon, onion, salt, sugar, crab juice, fish sauce, bone broth, coconut water... The secret and flavor of a standard fish pot is mainly determined by the seasoning step" - Mr. Hoan revealed.

Another special feature of Vu Dai braised fish is that if kept in a cool place, this dish can retain its flavor for up to 2-3 weeks without using any preservatives. On average, a family in Nhan Hau village sells about 20 pots a day. The price of each pot ranges from 600 thousand VND to 2 million VND depending on size and weight.

Making a pot of fish basically has 3 main steps: preparing the fish, arranging the fish in the pot and braising the fish, but each step has strict requirements to create a quality pot of braised fish. After that, it is braised continuously for 12-14 hours, the fire must always be even, not too big or too small. The firewood used to braise the fish must be longan wood, because longan wood provides a high amount of heat to remove the smell of baked clay and help the fish bones soften. During the braising process, water must be continuously added when it dries up, until the pot of fish has only about a spoonful of water left, then turn off the stove. The braised fish must have no fishy smell, each piece is delicious, firm, and still has intact fibers.

Mr. Hoan said that he himself had done many jobs to earn a living, but in the past ten years, he and his family members have been determined to stick with the fish braising profession. His family's braised fish products have therefore created a very unique flavor. "Good wine needs no bush", his braised fish products have been present in many provinces and cities across the country. At peak times, his family exported 2,000 - 2,500 pots, bringing in billions of dong in revenue.

This year, although the economic difficulties have greatly affected the lives of the villagers, because he has maintained a large number of regular customers, his family's orders are still higher than in previous years, and the consumption is still mainly concentrated in the 12th lunar month.

Also one of the famous fish braising families in the village, these days, Ms. Tran Thi Ha's family and her family members are busy all day with the work of braising fish. Ms. Ha said that her family has been in the fish business since the time of her ancestors, for more than twenty years now, at first only braising for family consumption, then from individual customers, and only focusing on the occasion of Tet coming to Spring, so she only works according to orders. Each Tet season, she makes at least a few hundred pots, at most up to more than a thousand pots of fish.

“The popularity of Vu Dai village braised fish is not only due to the delicious taste of the fish pot but also the efforts of the workers who put their heart into their profession,” Ms. Ha shared.

To keep up with the market demand during the days leading up to Lunar New Year, fish farmers in Vu Dai village often have to hire dozens of workers, taking turns day and night to keep the fire from going out, and constantly adding water to the pot to prevent the fish from burning.

Mr. Tran Xuan Thuc added that thanks to the traditional fish stewing profession, many families in Hoa Hau have become well-off. To build a brand, as well as to help the specialty of Vu Dai village fish stew to increasingly reach the domestic and foreign markets, the locality also mobilized people to establish a Fish Stew Association with about 30 members participating and being certified as OCOP. Since joining, the members have paid special attention to protecting the brand, most concerned about the issue of food safety. Notably, in 2019, the fish stewed products of his Tran Xuan Thuc establishment met the 3-star OCOP standard. Currently, Mr. Thuc is completing the procedures for building a copyright brand, striving to be granted a copyright brand by 2024.

There is a Vietnamese proverb that says "a delicious bite is remembered for a long time" and if you have ever tasted the braised fish of Dai Hoang - Nhan Hau village, you will certainly never forget its characteristic delicious taste.