Health & Life

Calcium-rich fish: 10 times more calcium than squid, 6 times more than carp, as nutritious as bird’s nest, and affordable.

This is a type of fish rich in calcium, packed with nutrients, affordable, and widely available at the market.

6 January, 2024

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There is a famous proverb in Traditional Medicine: “In the sky, there are doves; and in the water, there are chạch”. Nutrition experts confirm that chạch is truly the “ginseng of the water”. Known for its high calcium content, chạch surpasses other seafood with a 6 times higher calcium ratio compared to carp and 10 times higher compared to squid/octopus, when comparing at the same weight.

Chạch is not only a protein-rich seafood with low fat content, but it also has tender flesh and a distinctive delicious taste. Known as the “water ginseng”, chạch also provides a significant amount of protein, various vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids, such as EPA, which helps protect blood vessels and support the elderly as well as cardiovascular patients.

However, although chạch brings many nutritional benefits, there are three cases in which people should not consume it:

People who are allergic to chạch can experience physical discomfort, such as difficulty breathing, red rashes on the skin, joint pain, after eating.
People with reduced copper excretion should avoid eating chạch due to its high copper content.
People with high uric acid levels should avoid consuming chạch as they contain a high amount of purine, which can cause gout or joint problems.

Although there are cases where consumption should be limited, regularly eating chạch can bring many benefits, such as nourishing Yin, moisturizing, nourishing blood, enhancing sperm production, strengthening bones, and protecting blood vessels, promoting a healthy body. Here are two ways to cook chạch for you and your family to enjoy.

Caramelized chạch

Caramelized chạch is one of the rustic dishes of Vietnamese countryside. This dish attracts you with its rich, sweet aroma that blends in each flavorful piece of golden fish meat, incredibly appealing. This dish eaten with hot steamed rice is absolutely fantastic.

Peppered braised chạch

Along with caramelized chạch, peppered braised chạch is also a favorite dish loved by many for its rich, savory flavor that complements the rice.

Without any high-end ingredients, a piece of fragrant, spicy chạch combined with a bowl of fragrant, sticky rice, hot and steamy, is enough to warm your stomach on cold rainy days, right?

Unique braised chạch dishes definitely cannot be without the name of braised chạch with turmeric and lemongrass, which is both fragrant, delicious, and nutritious.

This dish will make you swoon with the fragrance of turmeric, the rich and sweet taste of the fish meat combined with the distinctive aroma of lemongrass.

Braised chạch with turmeric and lemongrass