Lao Bao eel

Eels in Lao Bao, Khe Sanh, Dakrong (Quang Tri) areas are famous for being delicious for a long time, so much so that there are many restaurants in the Central region that list on the menu as Lao Bao eel even though the fish is not from this region. The highlands of Quang Tri province have many rivers, streams and caves, ideal aquatic conditions for eels to thrive and grow.
Eel fishing is very strange. If you do not grasp its characteristics, it is difficult to catch fish even after biting the hook. The fish takes the bait and then pulls the fishing rod immediately and the line breaks. In Lao Bao, the fish took the bait and then hid in the cave, the tail firmly anchored in the rock. The angler must know how to rely on help, wait for a long time until the eel is exhausted, then dive down, crawl into the cave to pick it up.

An eel weighing several kilograms or more is normal. The bigger the fish, the better the meat, the more fat the belly is. The writer of this article has an unforgettable memory of eels. It was time to a fishing port to write articles. Before leaving, the director hung in my car a sandbag “a little homegrown plant as a gift for my sister”. When I got home, I just packed seafood, reminded my “sister” to do the kitchen, and then took a shower. While taking a shower, I suddenly heard a loud scream from behind the kitchen, and when I ran out, my wife had already passed out. How could she not faint when she had just unpacked the sandbag when a striped sea eel the size of a small python was squirming wildly! This eel weighs up to 13kg. The eel hotpot is delicious! About the strength and longevity of the eel, writer Buu Y describes: “The fish is very scary, at night he crawls ashore and then goes to the cage to catch chicks. Households near the river are experienced in catching fish. At night, every time I hear the chicken behind the coop, I know he is coming up, he crawls like a snake, but according to a rule, he crawls down that way, so people guard his way and sprinkle a lot of ashes, that’s when down, it fell into the ash nest, just lying in one place, no way to move.” Eel meat is tough, so in the countryside, women often slice rim with turmeric. This dish is great with hot red rice! At the restaurant, people often stir-fry eel with mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms, cat mushrooms, termite mushrooms) with onions, skull pepper… it’s very painful. Grilled eel dipped in ginger fish sauce or braised with acrid banana is also good. As for the eel hot pot, don’t say, the fresh water is dark, when it’s hot and sweaty, it’s already… According to architect Nguyen Trong Huan, in the list of fish, eel must be listed at the top. Also according to him, enjoying the right eel must be accompanied by the wine of Chuon village, the first famous wine in Hue.