The smell of success

In recent years, the name Vu Dai is being heard of once more for its braised fish, which is an everyday food item in the villagers’ meal.

No elder in Vu Dai knows when this dish first appeared. Only a few remember that the village was very poor, as their paddies were scant. But there were a lot of ponds around that gave them fish. Perhaps that’s why they invented many dishes from it, including braised fish.

This food can stay fresh and delicious for weeks and so it can be wrapped and sent as gift to friends and relatives far away. Little by little, the rich taste and flavor became known far and wide. Many come to Vu Dai to eat and learn how to braise the fish. And so, some Vu Dai families came up with the idea of commercializing their modest treasure.

1981 was the year Vu Dai braised fish came to the market. As the demand grew, some established their own businesses. In 2009, a business owner took his product to the Internet. “Now the whole country knows Vu Dai braised fish, and everybody loves it,” he said, full of confidence.

Vu Dai now has over 10 braised fish establishments. This is the only fish-braising trade village of Vietnam. The place is bustling before the Lunar New Year. Last month, some families earned 200 million VND for 800 pots of fish. Vu Dai near lunar year-end is like a braised fish fair. At the moment, many families post braised fish ads on the internet with country wide delivery. Prices vary between 400,000 and 1,000,000 VND a pot, depending on the pot size.

Sophisticated artisans

The main character is black grass carp, 4 kg and above, cleaned of scales, guts, head and tail, cut in equal chunks, and washed in salt water to remove skin mucous. Supporting roles include alpinia, ginger, coconut juice, lime juice and top-notch fish sauce.

The pot must be good quality terracotta, and the fish has tobe cooked in boiled water. “Without this step, the juices would be absorbed by the pot, making the fish tasteless,” a fish braiser said, showing off his expertise.

Ingredients ready, the pot bottom is tiled with alpinia slices. Then, some layers of fish chunks and the ingredients fill the pot. After 14 hours on a simmering fire, the fish is “well done”.

“The process seems quite simple. But folks outside of Vu Dai can hardly make the braised fish taste and smell this good,” according to fish-braiser Nguyen Ba Toan.

To prove his words, Mr. Toan revealed a few delicate secrets: “It’s a meticulous process. The alpinia slices must have the exact thickness, so the fish will be well-cooked without getting parched underneath. Fish chunks with big bones must be at the bottom, the ones with small bones at the top.”

There are many as experienced people in Vu Dai. They can tell the taste by the smell of fish, and the amount of water left in the pot by the bubbling sound. Some even go as far as to pick firewood. “Longan wood is the best because its fire is the hottest and most stable. Moreover, it removes the terracotta smell of the pot,” fish-braiser Tran Thi Ngan said.

By Khanh Le/Vietnam Heritage