Salty, quick salted shrimp

In January, there are countless shrimp in Da Nang sea. Early in the morning, boats come ashore with baskets of bright red shrimp. Mr. Huynh Van Muoi (born in 1966, Man Thai ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city) stood waiting, then took a shrimp and put it in his mouth to take a bite. Sweet shrimp means there is meat, making the fish sauce delicious and sweet.

He bought some and made it into salted floss. This is a dish he learned from his father, Mr. Huynh Van Mua, a famous fisherman in the fishing village of Man Thai.

There is no need to wash the purchased shrimp because it will spoil the flavor. Prepared ingredients include coarse salt, ginger, galangal, garlic, fresh chili and a little cold rice. The spices, including coarse salt, are also crushed to quickly penetrate the shrimp. After that, mix everything together until the shrimp and ingredients are well blended, then pour it into a ceramic or glass jar to make the fish sauce more flavorful. After about 5 days, open the jar of shrimp and smell the fragrant aroma. Taste it, the shrimp has a salty, sweet and spicy taste.

Mặn mà ruốc muối xổi- Ảnh 1. — Delicious bowl of salted shrimp paste from Mr. Huynh Van Muoi in Man Thai fishing village - Da Nang

Mr. Muoi said that everyone in the fishing village knows how to make this dish. Whether it is delicious or not depends on the skill in choosing the shrimp and the meticulousness in pounding the ingredients so that they are not too crushed or too large.

Salted shredded pork floss can be eaten as a luxury dish or as a "poor family" dish. For a luxury dish, get a piece of pork belly, boil it, and dip it in the sauce. For a "poor family" dish, just eat shredded pork floss with hot rice or add a piece of boiled sweet potato leaves. Either way, you'll finish a few bowls of rice.

Nowadays, the fishing village has changed a lot compared to when Mr. Muoi was a child. High-rise buildings are built close together. His family still keeps a small yard in the back of the house to make fish sauce and maintain the fish sauce making profession. He is proficient in all kinds of fish sauces, from anchovy fish sauce, crab sauce, shrimp sauce, etc.

He believes that salted floss is easy to make, not complicated and does not require much effort. He has also demonstrated how to make salted floss for tourists at the Da Nang Museum or made it at home for students to experience.

"Food is not just for eating, it is a way of life, a cultural characteristic of each region, and needs to be preserved" - Mr. Muoi said.