Transporting anchovies from the boat to the truck at the back yard of Mui Ne, Binh Thuan province Fisherman Tran Van Dat, who specializes in anchovies, is with his boatmates moving nearly 1 ton of anchovies to shore. Inside, traders and transport vehicles are waiting. Mr. Dat said that in the past 10 days, anchovies were abundant throughout the sea of ​​Mui Ne, so not only he but also many friends’ boats had a good harvest. “This is the 3rd trip in the men’s season. The previous two trips, each trip was 7-8 quintals. In general, the fish this year caught very well, the fish was big, the traders liked it” – Mr. Dat shared his joy. Dat fisherman moves anchovies from the basket to the shore This year, the anchovy season at Phan Thiet – Binh Thuan fishing grounds and the southern sea area started to flourish from the beginning of June, with a fairly high yield. The production of anchovies so far by fishermen in Mui Ne ward and Phan Thiet city has generally increased sharply compared to previous years. Anchovies are picked up by traders as soon as they come ashore Bustling scene at the back beach of Mui Ne After the fish is purchased, the truck is transported directly to the steamer, salt and fish sauce establishment The output is high, the purchase price of anchovies this year is quite stable. In Mui Ne ward, each basket of anchovies (25 kg) is purchased by traders for around 250,000 VND. Particularly for delicious, large, fresh fish used for drying, there are places to buy nearly 300,000 VND / basket. Grade 1 anchovies are sold for 300,000 VND/basket for drying Phan Thiet waters have up to 3 popular types of anchovies, including: white striped anchovies, black striped anchovies and mouth anchovies. In which, anchovies after drying are priced at over 200,000 VND/kg. In the photo: White striped anchovy has just been caught in Mui Ne Not only being dried for export, anchovies in Binh Thuan are also the main raw materials for salting fish sauce. The profession of making fish sauce anchovies in Binh Thuan has a history of development for more than 2 centuries and the product has been present in almost all regions of the country. After being transported from the sea, anchovies are mixed in a certain ratio with grain salt and put in a jar (Khanh) to salt them. In addition to salted fish sauce, grade 1 anchovies are steamed, then dried and dried for export With the fishing season, the stable selling price helps fishermen to be excited and push to go out to sea to exploit in the next trip. Mui Ne fishermen load rocks from the shore onto a basket to transport to the boat, preparing for the next sea trip

Tourists visit the fish sauce production area at Khai Hoan fish sauce barrel house on Phu Quoc island. (Photo: Le Huy Hai/VNA) The profession of making fish sauce has existed for over 200 years and has been associated with the cultural life of the people of Phu Quoc island city. On May 27, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Decision No. 1730/QD-BVHTTDL recognizing the profession of fish sauce making in Phu Quoc, Duong Dong ward, An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city. Kien Giang province is a national intangible cultural heritage. It can be said that, in the context of difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, this is still a great joy, a motivation for people making fish sauce in Phu Quoc to continue preserving and promoting the quintessence of fish sauce. traditional profession left by his father. Chairman of the Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association, Ho Kim Lien, said that Phu Quoc waters have many types of seaweed and plankton which are the main food source for anchovies, the main raw material for making fish sauce. Therefore, anchovies grow abundantly in this sea. More than 200 years ago, the profession of making fish sauce existed in Phu Quoc, people caught fresh anchovies and salted them right on the ship, before bringing them back to brew in barrels. Incubating anchovies in wooden barrels is a feature of Phu Quoc fish sauce making. Boi Loi is a type of wood used to make fish sauce barrels, which are abundant in Phu Quoc forest. The longer the barrel is left, the stronger the wood, the better the quality of the fish sauce. The barrel has a round cylinder with a wide mouth, made from 55 boards of equal sizes: 2.2m long, 20cm wide, 6cm thick; The diameter of the barrel mouth is about 3.2m, the bottom is about 2.6m. The barrel is strapped with green rattan in the forest. Ms. Ho Kim Lien said that fish sauce production is based on traditional manual methods with the recipe of 3 anchovies + 1 salt. It takes 10-15 months to produce fish sauce. From the first to the last water will be divided into different types of fish sauce, with different protein levels; Depending on the ratio of protein more or less from 20-43 protein, the price of fish sauce is different. Phu Quoc fish sauce has a brown color of cockroach wings with a characteristic flavor of mild aroma, salty taste, and sweet aftertaste. According to Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association, Phu Quoc fish sauce began to thrive and flourish from 1945 to now. Since 1998, with the support of the French Embassy in Hanoi, the Ministry of Fisheries and the province Kien Giang conducting registration dossiers for geographical indications, on June 1, 2001, Phu Quoc fish sauce was the first product to be registered in Vietnam. In July 2013, the European Union (EU) awarded the “Phu Quoc” certificate of origin for Vietnamese fish sauce products in Brussels (Belgium). In August 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Trade handed over this certificate to the representative of the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc island district and the Association Phu Quoc fish sauce Since then, Phu Quoc fish sauce products have been protected and developed up to now. Currently, Phu Quoc city has about 100 fish sauce factories, concentrated in Duong Dong and An Thoi wards. The source of raw anchovies is currently limited, from now to 2025, Phu Quoc strives to produce 12 million liters of fish sauce per year on average. Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association was established in October 2000, currently has 53 members. Chairman of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association Ho Kim Lien said that, in addition to the advantages of being protected by geographical indications, Phu Quoc fish sauce craft villages are always respected by the People’s Committee of Kien Giang province and the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc city. focus on maintaining and developing. Over the years, consumers everywhere have known about the Phu Quoc fish sauce brand, helping to sell more traditional products of the craft village. This is also a tourism products unique in the island city of Phu Quoc, attracting tourists to visit, learn about craft village culture in particular and discover the cultural life of people on Ngoc island. According to Ms. Ho Kim Lien, the difficulty of the current Phu Quoc fish sauce industry is that a part of consumers has not yet identified the genuine Phu Quoc traditional fish sauce, so the price is not stable. Currently, there is no planning for Phu Quoc fish sauce craft village, so the craft village has not been concentrated into a sightseeing place for tourists. To meet the development of craft village , Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association hopes that there should soon be a concentrated craft village planning to stabilize production and business, create a favorable development environment for craft villages; At the same time, there is a gathering place, serving to introduce and promote the traditional fish sauce craft to visitors. Chairman of Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Association Ho Kim Lien said that in the coming time, Phu Quoc fish sauce will focus on developing quality rather than quantity, to continue affirming the quality of the brand. After being recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Quoc fish sauce making continues towards being recognized by UNESCO as a world intangible cultural heritage. . This helps increase the brand value of Phu Quoc fish sauce, contributes to raising the local cultural heritage, and helps promote the image of the beautiful island city of Phu Quoc to international friends.

Chef Tuyet Pham created Quang noodles that are loved by the people of 3 regions and international friends. If the love of Quang noodles was passed on by her mother, the philosophy of Quang noodles was entrusted by Tuyet Pham to her little daughter Abby. The love of cooking like an underground circuit flowing through 3 generations has become a story that Tuyet Pham carries with him in every step of his journey. Master chef has cooked standard Quang noodles according to the philosophy of instilling love. The ingredients for the dish include: – 1 kg of Quang noodles, 300 g of chicken fillet, 500 ml of chicken bone broth – 1 tbsp spring onion – 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cashew powder – 2 tablespoons 3 Mien anchovy dipping sauce (divided evenly during cooking) – Lettuce, basil, baby cabbage, scallions, cilantro (can add banana buds depending on preference) – Rice paper, roasted peanuts, 100 ml of peanut oil (peanut oil) – Spices: seasoning, sugar, pepper, paprika. The familiar, rustic ingredients make delicious Quang noodles. The processing steps are as follows: Step 1: Chicken fillet marinated with a little dipping sauce 3 Mien, add a little chopped onion to create fragrance. 3 Mien anchovy sauce marinated chicken to help Quang noodles more flavorful. Step 2: When the pan is hot, add the peanut oil and onion until fragrant, use chopsticks to stir until golden brown before adding the chicken. Stir well until the chicken starts to hunt again. Add turmeric powder and cashew powder. After the color dissolves, add 3 Mien dipping sauce and stir with your hands so that the meat is absorbed into the fish sauce to create a characteristic aroma. Chicken color, smell up with 3 Mien anchovy dipping sauce and spices. Step 4: Continue to season with salt, sugar, seasoning in the ratio 1:1:1. Adjust the heat to low so that the spices infuse the meat. Continue to add some pepper and chili powder. Step 5: When the tenderloin is seasoned and cooked, add the chicken broth. Wait for the broth to boil, the spices in the chicken come out and mix with the broth. Step 6: Season to taste. Put Quang noodles in a bowl, serve with chicken, fill with broth, add peanuts and green onions. Raw vegetables presented on the side, served with chili lime and a cup of 3 Mien dipping sauce. Sweet chicken broth for delicious Quang noodles. In his recipe, chef Tuyet Pham cleverly added 3 Mien anchovy dipping sauce as a special “trick”, helping diners from 3 regions and international friends feel the delicious taste and flow of national cuisine. Loving family in a bowl of Quang noodles. With passion and culinary knowledge, Uniben constantly researches the taste of traditional dishes, explores and refines the characteristics of 3 regions to bring delicious products imbued with the essence of moisture. real Vietnamese. Including 3 Mien anchovy dipping sauce with ingredients from pure anchovy fish sauce, specially prepared according to its own secret to produce a traditional standard sauce. 3 Mien dipping sauce has a golden brown color, a mild aroma, is both delicious and convenient for all dishes from stocking – stir frying – cooking to using as a dipping sauce without mixing, giving the dish a rich and delicious taste Traditional flavor saves cooking time.

The dashi broth is made from nutritious food ingredients. There are many types of dashi broth with different names derived from the ingredients used to make the broth, such as vegetable and fruit dashi broth; seaweed dashi broth, dried anchovies or dashi broth made from seaweed, tuna. In particular, tuna seaweed dashi broth is the top priority for Japanese mothers when preparing food for babies of weaning age because it contains seaweed – the number 1 food in Japan that helps provide iron as well as iron. other important micronutrients. Phuong Le (commonly known as Rabbit’s mother) has been a bride in Japan for many years and has two lovely children, Rabbit (nearly 2 years old) and Soc (7 months old). Baby Rabbit – Phuong Le’s daughter is now nearly 2 years old. 7 month old baby squirrel. Ms. Phuong Le said that when Rabbit was 5.5 months old, she started giving her baby Japanese-style weaning and the same for Soc. Having learned from many experts and mothers in Japan and understands the benefits of dashi broth, she always prioritizes using dashi when cooking food for her children. “ A Soc’s meal always consists of 3 dishes: thin porridge cooked in dashi broth, minced meat, small raisins and a vegetable dish. The purpose of cooking porridge, vegetables or fish meat separately is for the baby to recognize the taste, the mother knows what kind of food she likes or dislikes to adjust the processing accordingly. At the same time, processing into individual dishes will help children eat more deliciously “, shared Rabbit’s mother. Phuong Le often makes dashi broth to cook food for her children. Therefore, every time he eats, the baby squirrel is very excited. Here is a recipe for sweet, non-fishy tuna seaweed dashi that most children in Japan love shared by Rabbit’s mother: Prepare materials: – 15cm seaweed (kombu) – 10g katsuo (dried thinly sliced ​​tuna). Katsuo bags are often sold in abundance in Japanese supermarkets. Currently also present in the market of Vietnam. – 1 liter of clean water How to cook dashi stock: – Wash the seaweed, cut it into small pieces (seaweed is taken from the sea and then dried and packaged, not cleaned, so it must be washed). Seaweed needs to be washed before putting it in the cooking pot. – Put the seaweed in a pot with 1 liter of water, soak it for 30 minutes (so that the seaweed slime and the sweet flavors are absorbed into the water). Then boil. – After boiling for about 30 seconds, take out the seaweed, add the tuna. Do not simmer the seaweed for too long as it will make the dashi water fishy. Thinly sliced ​​dried tuna is now sold a lot in supermarkets. – Cook for about 30 seconds and then filter the tuna residue. Filter out the tuna residue… …remaining tuna seaweed dashi broth. – Let the dashi cool, put in the freezer tray. Every time you cook, take one out, very convenient. The dashi stock can be frozen in the freezer for about a week. – Once a week, cook the seaweed dashi broth – tuna you can use for the whole week. Good luck moms!

Build a new life Sitting on a motorboat, invested by Mr. Nguyen Van Trieu with an amount of more than 100 million VND, with all necessary equipment for tourists such as life jackets and lifebuoys, I feel the life of the people. The bed of the Sesan 4 Hydropower Plant has changed and is much different from 10 years ago, when they first came here to determine to build a new life, in their second homeland. The sound of the boat’s engine going up and down the lake reverberated and stirred the whole area. The wind blows on the lake surface, with a faint, strong smell characteristic of the river. Trieu’s houseboat pairing boat, tourists quickly spread out, some people are eager to feed fish, people go to see fish drying, making fish sauce, laughing and talking. As for me, hanging around Mr. Trieu to ask about his daily work. Mr. Trieu said, when the gray smoke behind the raft houses started to emerge, the men were ready to go and drop nets. 10 years living on this lake bed, his rafts and the people around him are getting bigger and bigger, sure, life is much better, old age and children can learn more words, but with The men from all over the country gather here are still the same: pulling nets at night, pulling nets during the day to drop nets and nets, and then sell fish to traders. Mr. Trieu confided, 10 years ago, the bed of Se San 4 lake was vast and lonely, with countless fish. On the first day of coming here, the people of Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh fished gobies and chameleons; people in the west fish Dinh sesame, red-tailed snout; and the people in the central region, in the southeastern part of the country, they will catch any fish. “Now the fish are less and wiser, they just swim under the rotten wooden trunks of the lake bed, rarely come up, so if they drop the nets deep down, they will all be torn. In the past, there was a night when catching half a kilo of fish, at least from 10 kg to 20 kg. For the past few years, it’s only been a few kilograms, so you guys have to switch to fishing,” said Mr. Trieu, pointing out to tell me where there are rafts built by people there and floating on the lake. At about 17 o’clock, when the sunset fell, we got on the boat to follow Mr. Trieu and the households in the fishing village to prepare tools to cast nets and cast nets. The atmosphere becomes bustling by the sound of motorboats and fishermen calling each other. Trieu’s family has a total of 20 baskets, each with an investment of about four million dong. As he walked, he introduced me, each basket was placed at least 200 m apart, we clearly divided the area so that families did not concentrate on mining in one place, each time it took more than 1 It took hours to return to the shore because the distance was quite long. Each rack will be fitted with a battery used to connect to light a light bulb. That’s how to catch Sesan anchovies. Just stretch out, drop the lights down, the anchovies see the light and gather. Around 3 am the next morning, the boat went out to pull the nets and harvested the fish. Those who are afraid will bring it to Se San market to sell, diligently bring it back to dry and sell it gradually. Up to now, Sesan anchovy has become a famous specialty. When the batches are finished, the people of Sesan fishing village come back to pick up every piece of trash and waste floating on the river. It’s not because hundreds of people are always diving and roaming the river, so they do that but that’s the reason for living. Mr. Trieu said: Contaminating the river also means harming yourself, that thought is deeply rooted in the thinking of this fishing village. Living off the products on the river, more than a hundred people in Sesan fishing village always consider the river as a living being, like a soulmate to remind themselves not to do anything harmful to the river. Mr. Dang Van Thuoc, Director of Se San Cooperative, saw that Mr. Trieu’s house had visitors, so he rowed over to chat with us. He asserted that: I was one of the first people to come here with Mr. Trieu, well versed in all fishing channels, but I always remind the fishing village households to never fish in an extermination way, only with nets. Traditional , . We agree to make the eyeballs according to a certain size, only the big and right sized fish will be harvested and the fry and small fish will fall in to continue to grow. Especially from the 14th to the 20th day of the lunar calendar every month, the people of the fishing village will not pull the net and release the net because this is the breeding cycle of anchovies. In the most difficult times, absolutely no one is allowed to use explosives to fish in the river. It is a crime, it is to destroy the river. Gently stepping through the wooden planks to connect the floating rafts of the houses together, helping the nearby families to come to the house to chat, I met Mr. Nguyen Van Tung, who is over 70 years old this year. With a bright smile when welcoming a stranger to visit, he happily said: Every morning he wakes up very early to wait for the morning sun, and then begins his working day. “In the past, the whole family of six of us lived in a river down to the east, but there people were indifferent to the river, did not protect the river, so the fate of people was poor when the river was polluted. more shrimp. Up here, everyone has a sense of preserving the water flow and the landscape, so life has been warmed up,” said Mr. Tung. Beautiful fishing village After nearly 10 years of clinging to the Se San river, the lives of the fishing village households are still precarious, their children cannot go to school, their lives are floating along the water. Through the monitoring process, the households in the fishing village are all diligent, honest and have the desire to settle down for a long time, so the leaders of Kon Tum province have created conditions for the households to gradually stabilize their lives. The Lunar New Year of the Pig in 2019, the joy of the fishing village was multiplied many times when all 29 households with more than 100 people were imported, were granted 400 m2 of residential land and each household was supported 50 million VND. to make a house. From a place of floating and precarious living along the water, the people of the fishing village have been settled. Mr. Nguyen Van Trieu said, with the same amount of 50 million dong, most families in the fishing village try to contribute from 50 to more than 100 million dong to build a house. Therefore, 29 spacious and spacious Great Solidarity houses with an area of ​​​​from 80 m2 to 120 m2 with corrugated iron roof and flower tile background were inaugurated. Ashore, many families were able to buy motorbikes, televisions and refrigerators. Comrade Tran Trung Dung, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ia Toi Commune, said that from the capital of the national target program on building new countryside, the fishing village was invested by the State with more than three billion VND. pull electricity from the grid to the village. In the coming time, we are focusing on bringing clean water to each household because this is still the most urgent issue today. For the education of children in the fishing village to be what it is today, families are always grateful to Mr. Nguyen Quang Tho, Head of Education and Training Department of Ia H’Drai district. Mr. Tho went to each campaigner, creating conditions to bring their children to class. Mr. Tho shared his memories of the first days of mobilizing families: Most of the people in the fishing village were afraid to send their children to school because it took a long time to pick them up. They think very simply that their parents and themselves who were born and raised on the raft are literate but still live well. However, I was not discouraged, went out to friends to talk, persevered, and encouraged each family so that the children could go to school. Thanks to that, all children born in the fishing village today who reach school age can go to school fully. Comrade Vo Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the District People’s Committee Ia H’Drai said: In the coming time, the district government will focus on supporting and investing more methodically in developing the tourism economy in the province. fishing village, to effectively exploit this potential. Tourism cannot be generalized but must deal with specific problems. For example, it is necessary to build a tour with a specific schedule so that visitors feel like coming back and recommending to friends to visit. The overnight stay of tourists at the raft can only meet a few, but not guarantee for large groups. In addition, the district will seek and call for capable and enthusiastic investors to invest in building more tourist attractions in the lakebed area, thereby forming a closed ecotourism chain. with its own charms. Deep lake night. The raft house of Mr. Nguyen Van Trieu sways with each wave. Lying down listening to the waves crashing into the raft house, from time to time there was the sound of fish jumping below, we kept awake. The alarm clock sounded at 3 am, I quickly got up to prepare to follow Mr. After two hours, when we returned, the sun began to shine. Before parting after a night of experiencing the life of the people of Sesan fishing village, I made an appointment with the people here to come back to witness the change when the tourism potential on the bed of Sesan 4 becomes a reality. Se San fishing village will become an attractive destination on the travel map of Kon Tum, the Central Highlands region in particular and the whole country in general.

Dong Chau fish sauce production area outside Xuan Phuong village, Thach Kim commune is very clean. “From 1991 to present, Dong Chau fish sauce is known by many people for its rich and delicious taste. However, the product is only around in the province but has not been able to reach major markets,” said Director of Dong Chau Cua Sot Seafood Export and Processing Cooperative, Luu Thi Chau. “There are many ingredients to produce fish sauce, but anchovies (striped anchovies) are still the first choice because of their high nutritional content, delicious taste, and relatively “soft” price. However, this material is only purchased within 24 hours from the time the fish is caught. If beyond that time period, selling cheap Dong Chau establishments will not buy because they cannot produce good fish sauce “- the director of the cooperative added. The members of the cooperative open the jar lid and prepare to stir the soaked ingredients Brass anchovies usually appear from June to December every year, quite abundantly in Ha Tinh waters with the selling price of 20 million VND/ton, so it is very convenient for Dong Chau to produce in large quantities. However, to be able to produce delicious and quality fish sauce bottles and create a brand, the cooperative workers must carefully select fresh, delicious fish that have not been iced, use clean salt and sufficient dosage. After washing with sea water to dry, anchovies are marinated at the ratio of 4 quintals of fish/1 quintal of salt and 2 kg of hearing (brown rice with golden brown) and then incubated in jars. One month after marinating, the producer opens the jar lid and then uses a tool to stir it from top to bottom. Then every 5-7 days, continue to stir to ensure the fish is cooked evenly. After 18 months, each jar containing 250 kg produces “oven” of 70-80 liters of grade 1 fish sauce with the selling price of 120,000 VND/liter. After harvesting, grade 1 fish sauce continues to be salted, soaked, and stirred 2 to 4 times in a period of 1 month, the producer collects about 40 liters of type 2 fish sauce (selling price 60,000 VND / month). liters) and 30 liters of fish sauce grade 3 (30,000 VND/liter). The “secret” to creating delicious, pure fish sauce drops is to use the traditional method of salting fish sauce on the basis of making the most of the sun. Also thanks to many years of experience in traditional craft, Dong Chau fish sauce attracts consumers thanks to the factors of color, protein and characteristic taste. However, in order to produce high-quality brands, not everyone understands the hardships of this profession. Workers do not have a day off, often have to work under the hot sun of the sea, because the sun is good, the fish sauce is delicious. Not only the taste, but the yellow color of Dong Chau fish sauce also “scores” the product Known for its delicious and rich fish sauce, no preservatives are used, so the products of Dong Chau Cua Sot Cooperative are ordered by many foreign customers. After 18 months (May 2019) investing in “improvement”, with a total capital of 500 million VND, renting the premises, paving the cement floor, building the campus, buying 100 porcelain pots (jars), buying production materials packaging, labels… Dong Chau fish sauce has achieved 3-star OCOP product brand on December 17, 2020. Thanks to OCOP branded products, after a short period of time, production output increased from 200, 300 liters/month to 500, 700 liters/month. In particular, on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2021, the cooperative consumed more than 1,200 liters. So far, Dong Chau fish sauce brand has produced and consumed there. Dong Chau is favored by small traders in major domestic markets such as Hanoi, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, etc. Dong Chau fish sauce is packaged in glass bottles and plastic cans with beautiful designs. According to Mr. Vo Ta Binh – Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Loc Ha district, due to the rich experience in making traditional fish sauce, it has been invested in “improvement”, so the Dong Chau brand has attracted a lot of domestic customers. In particular, the cooperative also creates stable jobs for 7 people with an income of 5 – 6 million VND/person/month. “From the initial success, in the coming time, the cooperative wants to continue to invest in expanding production to increase the capacity to 1,500, 2,000 liters/month. However, the most difficult thing at the moment is the lack of production space. Therefore, if the functional departments of Loc Ha district create favorable conditions to help, the cooperative will embark on realizing the set plan,” added Ms. Luu Thi Chau – Director of the cooperative.

Barrel house in Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc fish sauce making has existed for a long time, and is a unique feature in the life of the people of Phu Quoc in particular and the life of the people of Kien Giang in general. Phu Quoc fish sauce making profession is associated with the formation and development of Phu Quoc from the time it was a remote island district to the brilliant first island city of Vietnam. In Decision No. 1730/QD-BVHTTDL issued on May 27, 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided: “Included into the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage: Traditional Crafts , Folk knowledge – Making fish sauce in Phu Quoc”. Decision on recognition of national intangible cultural heritage. Although there has been a contraction due to the rapid development of tourism, at present, Phu Quoc still has more than 100 fish sauce production facilities, mainly concentrated in Duong Dong and An Thoi, estimated output on 10 million liters/year. In Phu Quoc, there are families who make fish sauce from father to son and maintain their reputation from generation to generation. Fish sauce production facilities are called barrel houses. Phu Quoc fish sauce is famous for its high protein content, sweet taste, and the aroma of striped anchovy, a specialty only Phu Quoc has. The fishing season for striped anchovies is mainly from July to December every year. When the fish net has just been pulled up, it will be picked up with a racket, removed impurities and washed with sea water, then immediately mixed with salt with the ratio of 3 fish to 1 salt, then taken to the ship’s hold. This way of mixing fresh fish keeps the fish meat from decomposing, fish sauce has the highest protein content, and does not have a bad smell. Honoring the profession of making fish sauce adds to the cultural value of the island city of Phu Quoc. The standard brewing process of Phu Quoc fish sauce is 12 months. After that, the new fish sauce is drawn in order, initially the fish sauce has a protein content of over 30, followed by a long fish sauce with a protein level of over 20. After draining the protein in the chuop, all kinds of sauces. The fish sauce is mixed to have the highest protein content according to the natural method. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Diep Mai – Deputy Director of Kien Giang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phu Quoc fish sauce making is the first national intangible cultural heritage of Kien Giang. In July 2020, Nam O fish sauce craft village in Da Nang was also recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Ingredients for fried anchovies with garlic and chili 500 gr anchovies
100 gr deep fried flour or cornstarch

2 chili peppers, 2 garlic cloves, dried onion, green onion
Seasoning: 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 teaspoon chili sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 Daily delicacies: Fried anchovies with garlic and chili. How to make fried anchovies with garlic and chili Anchovies are washed and drained, then put in a bowl with fried flour or cornstarch, add a little salt and pepper, stir well. Garlic, chili, chopped onion.
Put the oil pan on the stove, heat the oil, put a little anchovies in and fry on medium heat. When the goldfish is crispy, remove the fish to a plate lined with absorbent paper.
Make the sauce: Put 3 spoons of fish sauce, 1 spoon of sugar, 1 spoon of chili sauce, minced garlic, and minced chili into a bowl and stir to dissolve.
Put another pan on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add green onions and dried onions, minced garlic to the island until fragrant. Pour the sauce mixture into the boil, then add all the fried fish to the island to infuse the spices. When the mixture is dry and clings evenly to the dried fish, sprinkle some pepper, then turn off the heat, put the fish on a plate to eat with hot rice. Fried anchovies with garlic and chili can be made a lot, put in a jar and preserved in the refrigerator to eat gradually.

Mr. Chin’s family also has a long tradition of fishing. Initially, every day with boat cruises filled with fish. So I did not eat all, and added Co To many years ago, there was no electricity to the net, so almost every family with a fishing job would have a job of making fish sauce, because that would only be able to handle the amount of fish. Rice … a lot of redundancy after each trip out to sea. Mr. Le Van Chin has worked as a fish sauce for several decades. Mr. Chin said, this profession ranged from selecting fish, making the best fish sauce which is anchovy, to the stage of brewing and distilling according to a process. Although there is a general recipe, but the workers also need a certain experience, so the same ingredients, the same recipe tools for fish sauce are the same, but some people produce delicious fish sauce products, others do not. The fish sauce factories in Co To all use ceramic jars to make fish sauce, not cement tanks, to ensure that the fish sauce in the jars is kept intact, because the fish sauce has salt, and other materials are soaked for a long time. corrosive but not in jars. When finished a batch of fish sauce, jars are cleaned and sanitized, then dried to kill bacteria before preparing a new batch of fish sauce. To make fish sauce delicious, Mr. Chin is very careful from the import of ingredients. He contracts with fishing vessels, purchasing as soon as anchovies are imported into the port early in the morning. Being a fisherman, he chooses anchovies that are fresh, bright and not damaged. Because the fish sauce must be marinated every year to be used, Mr. Chin actively imports fish at the coldest time of the year from November of the previous year to March of the following year. This is the time when anchovies are abundant, fatty, of good quality. On the other hand, due to the cold climate, fish are also best preserved. Co To anchovies are rich in protein, preliminary processing, marinated with a certain percentage of salt in the jars, Mr. Chin carefully reverses every day in the sunlight, repeating every day from 12 to 15 months. At that time, the fish can gobble up enough to produce fish sauce products. Mr. Chin said, even keeping fish in jars requires a certain experience, it is best to choose the best sunny days, not to dry on bad weather days with rain, because it only needs a few drops of rain. also ruined the jar of fish sauce. Now that the age is high, Mr. Chin only works moderately, he produces about 700 liters of fish sauce annually. His family’s fish sauce products have a reputation among the islanders, and many tourists also order them. Co To has an abundant source of raw materials to produce fish sauce. In recent years, Co To district has stepped up vocational training for people, many families have learned to do fish sauce. Ms. Phan Thi Tuyet, Hai Tien village, Dong Tien commune, after attending a seafood processing class taught by staff of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs since 2015. Having a job, Tuyet and her husband arrested her. Right hand on making fish sauce. Initially, Ms. Tuyet only made a few jars to eat gradually, then introduced it to the neighbors. Seeing that everyone praised the deliciousness, so Tuyet boldly borrowed to buy 36 jars to make fish sauce and annually produced about 3,000 liters. Co To fish sauce makers are self-conscious about food safety and hygiene to make fish sauce, that is why Co To fish sauce is a prestigious OCOP product for many tourists from near and far. When coming to Co To, when returning home, many tourists do not forget to bring back a few liters to tens of liters of fish sauce to make gifts for their family members. Even when they got home, they still contacted the Co To fish sauce maker to send the goods to them.

Besides, don’t forget to improve the quality of your sleep. People who often do not sleep well will be more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, chronic inflammation and depression. Besides that, the ugly skin also accuses you of not resting properly the night before. A good night’s sleep is not only good for the skin but also helps you wake up feeling refreshed and energized!

Cleaning up before bed

It sounds strange, but cleaning, at least in the bedroom, is one of the best ways to reduce pre-bed stress. Take 10-15 minutes to clean up your skin care products, wardrobe or desk, so that when you look into your bedroom, they don’t look too messy and cluttered.

Prepare for the next day

Why not arrange the clothes you need for tomorrow, have your gym bag, pre-baked a cake for breakfast tomorrow, or have a meal for the whole week. This way, you can completely enter the night’s sleep with the lightest of mind, without having to worry about what to eat tomorrow.

Have a light meal before going to bed

You need a snack at least 3 hours before bedtime. Foods that contain the ingredients of cheese, wheat, and sugar should be avoided. Instead, refrigerate healthy foods like salmon, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, yellow bell peppers, almonds, and Greek yogurt.

Sleep at a fixed time

Depending on your schedule, try to go to bed at the same time each night and set a target for at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Getting enough sleep not only improves your skin, but also helps you feel young and energized the next day.

Set the room temperature at about 15 – 19oC

This is the right temperature in the bedroom so you can easily lull yourself to sleep as well as get 8 hours of real rest at night. Not only that, this temperature range will promote the body to produce the hormone melatonin, an important hormone in the anti-aging process.

Light exercises before bed

Practicing yoga before bedtime helps you fall asleep more conveniently, especially good for people who are suffering from insomnia. In addition, a foot massage will pull you away from non-stop repetitive thoughts, calming your mind and making it easier to fall asleep.

Use essential oils

Enhance your beautiful sleep with essential oils. Essential oils such as orange essential oil, magnolia, lily, lavender, bergamot … are not only fragrant, but also completely natural and have many health benefits from promoting good sleep, reducing anxiety. , reduces blood pressure and reduces stress that accumulates throughout the day. You can use the essential oil through a diffuser, mix it in a lotion, massage with rose water, or place a few drops on a pillow.

Posts: Hong Van