The countryside specialty of this place in Thai Binh is 3-4kg grass carp grilled for a very long time, the whole village smells fragrant.

Grass carp weighing 3 - 4kg are grilled for many hours with a very elaborate preparation method, creating the brand of grilled fish in Thai Xuyen, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province with an irresistible delicious taste.

Thai Xuyen is a low-lying area in Thai Binh province, with many ponds and lakes, so people raise a lot of fish. It is not clear when grilled fish originated, but it is known that the elders have passed down the craft to each other for many generations and most households in Thai Xuyen know how to make it. About 30 km from Thai Binh city, along provincial road 458, going on both sides of the road through Thai Xuyen commune, you will see thousands of establishments selling grilled fish, the smell of grilled fish and the smell of charcoal smoke from longan flowers wafting out, filling the whole countryside.

To make this grilled fish dish, the main ingredient is none other than fish raised in Thai Xuyen. Fish can be of many types such as black carp, grass carp, and bighead carp, but the two best grilled types are snail carp and black carp. The fish must weigh at least 2 kg or more to be grilled deliciously and the bigger the better.

Grilled fish - a countryside specialty in Thai Xuyen commune, Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province. Grilled fish is usually grass carp and must be grilled for many hours.

After the fish is gutted, its head removed, its intestines removed, and its scales removed, it is divided into pieces about 10cm long, then each piece is divided into 2 lengthwise.

The fish is washed one last time before being seasoned. Seasoning accounts for 40% of the deliciousness of the fish. Therefore, choosing the seasoning and preparing it is an extremely important step. The main spices include Diem Dien fish sauce, fennel seeds, northern pepper, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, five-spice powder, etc.

Crush the turmeric and galangal and squeeze the juice through a filter to get the aroma. Chop the lemongrass and chili into small pieces. Then mix all the ingredients together and marinate for about 1 hour.

A typical tool for grilling fish is the tongs, which are made from old bamboo sticks about half a meter long, used to clamp the fish and then tie the fish tightly on the tongs with barbed wire.

Then, place the fish on charcoal for 5 to 7 hours, gradually lowering the temperature and turning the fish frequently to avoid burning some parts and undercooking others.

In the past, people grilled fish with straw, the smell of sticky rice straw mixed with each piece of fish, the salty ash taste made the fish more flavorful. But grilling with straw was very hard and expensive, so now people only grill with charcoal, the taste of charcoal is just as delicious.

Some batches of fish have to be grilled for 8-9 hours because the pieces of fish are large and thick. After grilling, the golden-yellow fish is placed on a plate and decorated with ginseng, lettuce, and perilla, making it extremely attractive. The dipping sauce must be made from Diem Dien fish sauce to match the fish. Each 3kg fish grilled can be eaten by a family of ten people.

In recent years, Thai Xuyen grilled fish has become popular among tourists from many places, even foreign tourists who come here to buy fish as gifts. Although it is a grilled dish, it is not greasy and can be kept for months without any problems.

Currently, in Thai Xuyen commune, Thai Thuy district (Thai Binh province), over 60% of households are engaged in the profession of grilling fish, exporting their products across the country. In addition, there are many tourist groups who want to grill fish themselves, experience the processing method and enjoy the original grilled fish.

The people of Thai Xuyen commune also have a folk saying "no grilled fish, no feast", which means that every feast in Thai Xuyen must have grilled fish, so that visitors from other places can immediately recognize the difference in a seemingly remote and low-lying countryside but with a rich culinary flavor like the feelings of the people here.

Source: https://danviet.vn/dac-san-dong-que-noi-nay-cua-thai-binh-la-ca-tram-3-4kg-dem-nuong-lau-oi-la-lau-ca-lang-thom-lung-20240924000712244.htm