Fish sauce in Quang cuisine

*Fish sauce eaten with hot rice is surprisingly delicious. Photo: Hanh Nhi*

According to cultural researchers, fish sauce originated from the Cham people, was learned by the first Vietnamese immigrants to Quang Nam and "Vietnamized" into one of the unique culinary cultures of the Vietnamese people. Fish sauce and the preference for fish sauce of the Quang Nam people have formed a unique concept in eating that people often call "chopped big, braised salty" which is completely different from the sweet taste of the South or the bland taste of the North.

In the book "Understanding the People of Quang Nam", fish sauce is considered to be at the center of Quang Nam's culinary culture and it is fish sauce that makes Quang Nam's culture richer, stronger and closer to nature.

It is not by chance that the people of Quang Nam - Da Nang are often called "mam cai people" to distinguish them from "mam ruoc people" in Hue. Because in the daily meals of Quang people, regardless of class or social status, there will always be a bowl of mam cai (fish sauce).

Fish sauce even appeared in the banquets of royal officials in the past. For example, in the sumptuous meal that the Tourane governor hosted for the Macartney delegation in the 18th century, "there were plates of cubed beef dipped in delicious sauce". Fish sauce is also associated with the fishermen of Quang Nam as a conductor to help them resist the cold of the ocean when they have to dive deep to catch seafood.

Talking about fish sauce in Quang dishes, there is really no end to it. From simple things like a bowl of fish sauce mixed with garlic and chili, really spicy, dipped with boiled vegetables or a bunch of noodles, it is enough to fill up a meal when the market is running out of food. On cold rainy days, there is nothing better than a bowl of hot rice with fish sauce, pickled vegetables and eggplant in fish sauce. Or in the afternoon, people often eat a plate of rice paper with the fragrant smell of fried peanut oil mixed with the salty taste of fish sauce.

A little more upscale would be the addition of skillfully boiled pork with two pieces of skin appearing at the two ends of the meat strip or a piece of red-roasted veal rolled in herbs and dipped in fish sauce. Or popularly, bowls of vermicelli with fish sauce have become a famous specialty of this Da Nang land.

The salty taste of the fish sauce and the strong smell of fermented fish may make many people hesitate at first, but once tried, few can resist the appeal of this special sauce. That is why fish sauce, mackerel sauce, herring sauce, pickled fish sauce, eggplant sauce... with brands such as Di Can sauce, Nam O sauce, Cua Khe sauce... have become popular specialties across the country today.

From simple bowls of rice to luxurious banquets, fish sauce has always contributed to making the dishes here more flavorful and at the same time preserving the local identity. Among the countless flavors of Vietnam, Quang fish sauce always has its own unique character: the salty taste of the ocean, the depth like the love of the people of the sunny and windy Central region.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/mam-trong-am-thuc-xu-quang-3303294.html