Food & Receipts

Taste the Famous Sea Herring and Papaya Salad of Thanh’s Beach

Have you ever heard of the delightful Vietnamese dish, 'Goi Ca Dua'? This mouth-watering delicacy, originating from the coastal villages of Thanh Hoa province, is a true culinary delight and we're here to take you on a tasty journey to discover its wonders.

Administrator

22 July, 2024

If you’ve ever been to Thanh Hoa province and haven’t tried the famous local delicacy of gỏi cá dưa, you’ve missed out on a real treat. Especially during early summer, when the fish are said to be at their best. So, what makes this dish so renowned? Let’s find out together in the article below.

1What is Cá Dưa?

Cá dưa is a type of fish with a long, slender body similar to an eel, with no scales, a long and slender head, and a flat underside. These are predatory fish, feeding on smaller fish and crustaceans. They are typically found in deep waters, around 100 meters deep, near river mouths and in warm waters.

Its flesh is white, sweet, crisp, and chewy, and is used in detoxification and treating rheumatism in Traditional Oriental Medicine. Additionally, the dried swim bladder of the cá dưa is used to produce absorbable surgical sutures. Thus, it has quickly become a famous specialty of Thanh Hoa province.

Cá dưa – a famous fish of Thanh Hoa

According to experienced fisherman Tran Phu Cuong from the coastal area of Hoang Truong, cá dưa fishing depends on the tides, with the highest catch rates when the tide is coming in.

Furthermore, if cá dưa is well-preserved and still alive, it can fetch a price of around 180,000 VND per kilogram. In the case of dead fish, the price drops to 20,000-30,000 VND per kilogram.

The delicious taste of cá dưa

2Delicious Fresh Cá Dưa Salad

Among the specialties made from cá dưa, the most famous is undoubtedly the cá dưa salad. The key ingredient for this dish is fresh, live cá dưa. The chef will clean the fish to remove any slime, then remove the skin, guts, and head. The flesh is then sliced thinly and marinated in coconut water for 2-3 minutes to firm it up.

Finally, the fish is mixed with spices and roasted rice flour. This dish is best enjoyed with edible leaves such as sung, dinh lang, and la lot, and of course, the signature “cheo” dipping sauce. This unique sauce is made from cá dưa meat, crushed garlic, and finely chopped chili peppers, creating a rich and flavorful experience for the palate.

The famous cá dưa salad of Thanh Hoa

3Other Delicious Dishes Made from Cá Dưa

In addition to the famous salad, cá dưa can be prepared in a variety of mouthwatering ways, such as sour soup, braised with sticky rice, steamed with green bananas, salted and fried, or steamed with ngải leaves.

Cá dưa sour soup

Fried cá dưa

Braised cá dưa with sticky rice

Cá dưa steamed with green bananas

Steamed cá dưa with ngải leaves

This article has provided an insight into the delicious and flavorful cá dưa dishes of Thanh Hoa. We hope you found it useful, and don’t forget to follow us for more interesting knowledge!

Frequently asked questions

The famous dish of Thanh’s Beach is a unique and delicious combination of sea herring and green papaya salad.

The key ingredients are sea herring, green (unripe) papaya, chili, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, and roasted peanuts.

The sea herring is carefully cleaned and gutted, then grilled over charcoal until the skin is crispy. It is then deboned and mixed with the papaya salad.

The papaya salad, or ‘Som Tam’, is a traditional Thai-influenced dish. It is made by shredding green papaya and mixing it with chili, garlic, lime juice, and fish sauce. Roasted peanuts add a crunchy texture and a nutty flavor to the salad.

Yes, some variations include adding other ingredients such as tomatoes, carrots, or even dried shrimp to the papaya salad. You can also adjust the spiciness to your preference by adding more or less chili.

This dish is commonly found in coastal areas of Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Thailand. You can often find it at local street food stalls or seafood restaurants near the beach.

Absolutely! You can find the detailed recipe in the linked article. It is a great way to bring a taste of Southeast Asia to your home and impress your family and friends with your culinary skills.