Kien Thuy braised sardine - OCOP product about to reach international level

Kien Thuy braised sardine is one of the typical OCOP specialty products of Hai Phong estuary, welcomed by domestic and international people.

Sardines are carefully selected to be fresh, large, and even… before being cleaned and stored.

Kien Thuy braised sardines have long been famous everywhere for their rich, harmonious, fragrant and fatty flavor. This is a rustic dish associated with the countryside dishes in people's daily meals such as crab soup, eggplant, etc., which has been passed down for many generations until today and has become a regional specialty.

According to locals, sardines are a species of fish that live in the sea all year round, only moving to rivers to spawn. The Van Uc River, near the Do Son estuary, is where two brackish water streams meet, so the fish are often fatter and tastier than in other places. This species of fish only gathers in the estuary in early summer and in the 8th and 9th lunar months, which is when they swim in to spawn.

To have delicious fish, the workers have to wake up early in the morning or late in the afternoon to go to the fishing docks to choose fresh sardines that have just been caught. The sardines are carefully selected, only taking mature, large and thick ones to have delicious and fatty meat. After that, the fish are washed and marinated with 16 spices for 30 minutes before being placed in a pot and braised.

Spices are also carefully selected, galangal must be fresh, young roots must be thinly sliced, and combined with fish when braising to prevent the fish from breaking.

Normally, to remove the fishy smell of fish, the chef needs to use rustic spices and marinate accordingly. In the process of marinating and braising fish, the indispensable flavors are the sour, light taste of chay, the sweet taste of sugarcane, the spicy, aromatic taste of ginger and chili, creating a unique, unmistakable flavor.

The secret of the veteran chef is to braise the sardines so that the bones are soft but the fish meat is firm and golden in color. The seasoning must be just right and cooked at the right temperature to create a delicious pot of braised sardines.

In addition to the carefully selected fish, the spices are also carefully selected. The galangal must be fresh, the young roots are thinly sliced ​​and added to the fish when braising so that the fish does not break, the old roots are finely ground and marinated in the fish. The sugarcane must be golden yellow, sweet enough, split lengthwise into long, thin pieces. The green bananas must be of medium size, not too young because they will be astringent when braising, and not too old because the fish will be sour.

Fish and spices are arranged carefully and methodically before braising.

Also a person who is attached to the product of braised sardine in Kien Thuy, Mr. Nguyen Sy Thang, owner of Thai Tin braised sardine facility, said that sardine is a gift from nature to humans, available in many places, not just Hai Phong . However, sardine in Van Uc river, near Do Son estuary, is the meeting place between two brackish water streams, so the fish is often fatter and tastier than other places.

If it is sea sardines, it will not be as fatty and rich as brackish water fish, that is why sardines in Kien Thuy area will be more distinctive when eaten than in other places. Along with that, traditional spices, braising recipes and secrets of each family will also create their own unique flavor.

Sardines have many bones, so the braising process also has its own secrets. The braising time for the fish lasts from 12-14 hours, ensuring that the bones are soft but the fish meat is firm. To have firm fish meat, you must adjust the heat appropriately during the braising process, and the color of the fish must be golden.

Sardine warehouse at Thai Tin facility

“In the seasoning, I will add a little bit of ground vegetables and some spices to create a unique flavor, so the sardines we braise will not have a fishy smell. This is the chef's secret, during the marinating and braising process, I use country spices, marinating accordingly will remove all the fishy smell of the fish, it will be difficult to eat the richness", Mr. Thang shared.

As a delicious dish, almost indispensable in the meals to entertain guests of Hai Phong people, the demand for use is increasing, so the owners of fish warehouses often have to "turn around" to find and buy fish because the raw materials are exploited in nature, not always available.

From this reality, many individuals and organizations in Hai Phong have researched and created other products besides braised fish to supply the market. Among them, the Lang Chai sardine processing facility of Sovi Food Company Limited is the largest in scale, annually supplying the market with hundreds of tons of fish with 9 main products.

Foreign partners enjoy Lang Chai braised sardines.

Currently, Lang Chai products have a product distribution system, cooperating with many clean food stores, large supermarket chains such as: Aeon, BigC, Mega Market, Vinmart, Coopmart... in Hai Phong, Hanoi , Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, sardine products have been introduced to foreign markets through many different distribution channels. The potential markets that sardine products are targeting are places where Vietnamese expatriates live such as the EU, North America, Australia, etc.

Mr. Le Tien Viet - Director of Sovi Food Company Limited said that the company's sardine products were assessed by the Hai Phong City OCOP Product Evaluation and Classification Council to meet 4-star standards and have been maintained until now. Currently, sardine products are not only available nationwide but also in many places around the world .

Mr. Le Tien Viet - Director of Sovi Food Company Limited introduces braised sardine products to foreign partners.

“When producing braised sardine products, in addition to profit, the heart for the homeland product comes first. Currently, we are completing the final procedures so that the products meet the standards for official export, bringing sardine products to continue reaching the international level,” Mr. Le Tien Viet informed.

According to the Department of Quality Management of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products of Hai Phong, OCOP products of braised sardine in Kien Thuy have been included by the local government in the list of local specialties that need to be focused on developing and are one of the specialty gifts of Hai Phong city.

Management and operation, especially promoting the circulation and consumption of agricultural products, and the circulation and transportation of agricultural materials for production are effectively implemented by the unit. Regularly grasp the situation of goods supply in localities, especially localities with difficulties in consuming goods.

In addition, the Department also coordinates with relevant agencies and units in supporting and guiding trade promotion to put agricultural and aquatic products on e-commerce trading floors, and providing guidance on product traceability.

HA (by Agriculture)

Source: https://baohaiphongplus.vn/ca-moi-kho-kien-thuy-san-pham-ocop-sap-vuon-tam-quoc-te-415391.html