Many people, particularly youngsters, love Ca Mau's grilled chopped that lat fish. (Photo: cachnau.vn) The Mekong Delta Province of Ca Mau has been known as a “kingdom” of fieldfishes such as catfish and snakehead fish and thatlat fish.
Locals feel pride in these fish. The fish’s aromatic flavour has createdmany characteristics dishes, such as bone removed fish grilled withchili and citronella. But the most famous far and wide is the grilled choppedfish and vermicelli soup topped with grilled or steamed chopped fish, and hotpot.
Local Thai Thi Cat, 65, said Ca Mau people often process the fish by hand. Butbefore that, the fresh fish should be carefully cleaned in cold water withlight salt to reduce its fish smell.
“It’s rather difficult to use a knife to remove all of the fish’s bones, but CaMau housewives have their experienced skills to do it,” Cat said, noting thefish meat is minced or grounded and stuffed well then mixed with a littlecooking oil, salt, broth mix and pepper powder and left for 20-25 minutesto ensure that it is tough and fragrant.
Gourmets from HCM City and surrounding provinces often drive to Ca Mau toenjoy the dish. One of them, Chau Hoang Duc, said he loves that lat fishdishes. “I often bring my family members to the province to enjoy the dish onthe weekend. My parents, my wife and I are interested in vermicelli souptopped with grilled and steamed chopped fish while my children choose grilledchopped fish in chili sauce, they enjoy it so much.”
“Apart from being attractive for its white from vermicelli, topped withred from tomato, green from fresh onions and brown yellow from grilled choppedfish, the vermicelli soup bowl has a natural sweet and aromatic flavour, nofishing smell and a rich nutritious broth cooked from the fish’s bones. It’s moreenjoyable when eaten with fresh herbs," Duc said.
It was related that long ago, Tu Du, mother of King Tu Duc (1829-1883)was interested in eating dishes made from thát lát fish raised at hernative home of Go Cong Village of Gia Dinh province, now called TienGiang province.
After being selected into the Hue Imperial Palace, she asked her maid to bringyoung that lat fish from hervillage to raise it in a pond located in the back of her imperial palacenear Hue’s An Cuu market, said Cat.
She said in the past, to make grilled chopped fish, locals often minced theentire fish (including its bones) because they thought the fish bone could helpto add calcium and make their body healthier.
They also made the dish tougher (not be broken) by stuffing carefullybefore balling and grilling it.
“Hue people considered the fish among the most healthy dishes comparedwith other fishes,” Cat said, adding that in winter, housewives often cooked thatlat fish hotpot to warm up their bodies while in summer, they cookedsteamed chopped fish soup with bitter gourd, which became verynutritious dishes for both elderly and children./.
VNA
