In the days leading up to Tet, Mr. Nguyen Van Nghi’s family in Dong Cao village, Trang Viet commune (Me Linh) is busy with smoked fish.
Mr. Nghi’s family has been working as a smoker for many years for hire every New Year to spring. “Locals believe that a New Year without a piece of smoked fish or a pot of braised fish will not have Tet,” Mr. Nghi said.
Dong Cao village used to have many fields, ponds, and swamps, when it rains heavily, water from the Red River overflows. At the end of the year, when the pond is harvested, a lot of fish can be harvested. People spend a part of it smoking, keeping the dried fish to eat gradually.
Smoked fish is usually black carp, grass carp, drift fish… Locals go to the market to order the biggest fish, then hire them to clean and bring to Mr. Nghi’s house by smoking or storing.
Every year, from December 20, people bring fish to Mr. Nghi’s house to smoke it.
The fish is cleaned, seasoned with a little spice, and then put in a bamboo sieve to smoke.
“Bamboo for making bamboo fenugreek is fresh, boring, not too old. When smoked, the water from the bamboo seeps into the fish, creating a sweet aroma, but it doesn’t burn the fish,” Mr. Nghi said while tying the fish.
The person bringing the fish is clearly noted to avoid confusion. Each piece of smoked fish weighs from 6-8 kg. During Tet, Mr. Nghi’s family smokes an average of 70 times a day.
The iron frame is reinforced in the yard, 50 cm above the ground so that the fire does not burn into the fish.https://ccd28af34c69fa85aeb3a35d899db326.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Every day, Mrs. Dam Thi Vui (57 years old) Mr. Nghia’s wife, and children get up at 3 am to smoke fish for guests. Work ends around 12 pm. Each piece of smoked fish costs 60,000 VND.
Smoked fish for about 8 hours continuously to reach quality. When smoked, pieces of fish are pressed tightly so that the meat is firm and hard.
Guests come to Mr. Nghi’s house to pay and find the smoked fish on the shelf.
Mr. Pham Hung, from Thuong Le hamlet, Dai Thinh commune (Me Linh district) said that he rented a 15 kg carp smoked to celebrate Tet. After a day when the fish is cooked, the fish is firm, and all the fat is melted.
Smoked fish can be eaten immediately because the meat is cooked. In addition, people also process it by braizing it with pork belly, ham, and dried onions to eat with rice on cold days.