With a strange taste, soft meat melts like porridge, potato fish becomes a specialty loved by many people. However, taro fish is a soft-bodied species that is easily perishable, so it is usually consumed immediately after being caught.
In Vietnam, taro fish appears a lot in the waters of the provinces from the North to the end of the Central region, but the most delicious and famous are still Thai Binh and Quang Binh.
The reason for its name is because the potato fish has an elongated body, pink white flesh, no scales that look like potatoes. This name also aims to help people distinguish potato fish from other fish species.
Previously, potato fish was not known to many people, so it was often simply processed into a rustic dish of people in the sea, even used as a source of food for pets. But today, potato fish has become a favorite specialty of customers from all over the world, appearing on the menus of many restaurants, hotels, or eateries.
From September to the end of December of the lunar calendar every year, it is the time to harvest potato fish. Depending on the place, the season of fish and potatoes can last until the second lunar month of the following year. At this time, fishermen in provinces such as Thai Binh, Nam Dinh or Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Vung Tau… are busy going out to sea to catch fish.
However, potato fish is a soft-bodied species that is very perishable, so after catching, people must bring the fish to consume immediately or transport it to neighboring provinces to ensure that the fish is still fresh and delicious. , sweet meat.
Potato fish can be processed into many delicious and nutritious dishes such as fish and potato porridge, fish and potato hotpot… but the simplest and most flavorful is still the fish potato soup. In order for the dish to be of good quality, one must choose to buy fresh fish with red gills, transparent flesh, natural pink fins and transparent eyes, viscous body, and shimmer. Rotten fish or frozen fish for a long time often have black fins and opaque flesh.
After buying, people bring them preliminary processing by cutting off the head, removing the intestines and then washing the fish with diluted saltwater. The stomach of potato fish is also often kept because of its crunchiness and strange greasy taste. Because the fish body is long, it is often cut into pieces about 3-4cm long and then marinated with spices such as fish sauce, pepper, ginger, lemongrass, chopped onion, garlic and chili to increase the deliciousness of the dish.
To cook fish and potato soup, you just need to fry onions and garlic with tomatoes, add water to the pot and bring to a boil. When the water boils, lower the heat to low, and gently drop the fish in. Because the fish meat is very soft, when cooking, do not stir or stir much, to avoid crushing the fish. This type of fish also flows a lot of water, so when cooking, just add enough water. When the fish is cooked, add green onions, laksa leaves, or finely chopped dill. Sour fish and potato soup is an easy dish to prepare, with a sweet taste.
Depending on the locality and taste of each person, fish can be processed into many different dishes. In Quang Binh, fish and potato hotpot is the most famous dish. Fish is also cleaned, cut into pieces and then dipped in a hot pot, served with vegetables and other ingredients like other common hot pot dishes.
And in Cai Doi Vam town (Phu Tan district, Ca Mau province) there is a famous specialty of dried caviar. Local people process caviar using traditional methods to preserve the fish longer and create a dish with a different taste. To dry the fish, people prepare the fish thoroughly, then cross the jaws, cross the poles and dry them in the sun and then use them gradually.
From a rustic dish of the people in the sea, the fish potato has become a specialty that diners in all provinces and cities, especially Hanoi, love and buy. Potato fish purchased at sea is quite cheap, but when transported to the mainland, they are sold at prices ranging from 170,000-320,000 VND/kg. Particularly in the last days of the year or near Tet, the number of fish and potatoes is more scarce, so the price can be as high as 400,000-500,000 VND/kg.
However, taro fish is perishable after being caught, so it is usually consumed immediately or only transported to the provinces near the sea. Therefore, it is not easy for diners in the capital to enjoy fish and potatoes, and it is also difficult for rich people to buy. Follow Dân trí