Tay people's grilled fish over two fires

Grilled fish is an indispensable traditional ritual dish during the July Tet holiday of the Tay people in Nghia Do. With its unique culinary culture, recently, the grilled fish dish, along with the blue gourd duck and the leaf-fermented wine of the Tay people in Nghia Do, have been recognized as national intangible cultural heritage.

Grilled fish over two fires - traditional dish of the Tay people in Nghia Do.

The Tay Nghia Do people have many different ways of grilling fish, but the most ceremonial and solemn dish in their traditional weddings, festivals, and New Year's is grilled fish over two fires. The main ingredient is grass carp raised organically in the ponds of local families.

Mr. Hoang Van Bong, a Tay in Nghia Do, said: To prepare fish quickly, neatly, and keep it fresh, when you just catch the fish from the pond, clean it, remove the head and tail, chop it into pieces about 2 cm thick, wash it, drain it, and marinate it with spices. When cutting the fish, cut it straight from the head to the tail, then leave both sides of the pieces evenly, do not break the gallbladder, because the gallbladder will seep into the fish meat and make it bitter.

The experience in handling and removing the fishy smell of fish is to clean the fish, wash the fish thoroughly with diluted salt water, then rub ginger juice over the fish. The Tay people absolutely avoid using knives or sharp objects made of iron or steel to cut or stab fish swimming in the pond to keep the family's fish farming stable and developing.

Tay people in Nghia Do skewer fish before grilling.

Whether grilled fish is delicious or not depends on the way it is marinated. Ms. Nguyen Thi San in Na Khuong village said: The main spices include: mac khen, doi seeds, chili powder, turmeric powder, fish sauce... Especially, grilled fish must retain the characteristic aroma of grass carp meat mixed with the aroma of spices. Some families use chili powder to create a beautiful golden brown color for grilled fish.

To have a delicious, fragrant, golden and eye-catching grilled fish dish, the Tay Nghia Do people skewer the fish to keep the original shape of the fish without it being bent or deformed after being grilled on charcoal. The skewers are made from fresh mai or dien trees split into small sticks. The person who makes the skewers must also know how to estimate the length and thickness of each stick so that they are equal and longer than the fish so that when eating, they can use their hands to hold the stick, creating a delicious, clean and convenient feeling.

On the trays of Tay families in Nghia Do, there is always grilled fish over two fires.

The Tay Nghia Do people prefer to use Dien tree to make grilled fish skewers because the smell of this tree when heated over hot coals, mixed with the smell of cinnamon charcoal, will give off its own aroma. When grilling, do not let the smoke get on the fish. During the first grilling, watch the charcoal fire so that the fish is about 80% cooked, take it out to let the fish continue to absorb the marinade and permeate the fish. Grilling the second time is only done when preparing to eat, making the fish hot for the second time, golden, fragrant.

To make delicious grilled fish, the Tay people have their own secret in the processing and preparation process.
Grilled fish.

To make the grilled fish fragrant, delicious, evenly flavored and cooked, the griller must have a secret, gradually heating the fish, not suddenly causing the fish to burn, losing its characteristic aroma. Therefore, the fish tongs must be placed on the outside when starting to grill, then gradually placed closer to the charcoal so that the fish cooks slowly, absorbs the spices evenly, the most important step in grilling the fish is still good charcoal which determines the quality and deliciousness of the fish. When you see the fish turning yellow, you must flip it over, when the other side turns yellow, you must take it out, grill the tongs one by one until they are really golden, the aroma spreads throughout the kitchen, the more cooked the fish is, the more fragrant it is. The grilled fish dish of the Tay people in Nghia Do must be left overnight and grilled for the second time the next day to reach the best taste.

The Tay people in Nghia Do have a song saying "ho luc au phu Nghia Do kin khau nua cap pia chi" (meaning: Let the daughter marry in Nghia Do, eat sticky rice with grilled fish) - meaning that the origin of grilled fish has existed for a long time and is an important dish in wedding ceremonies. The tradition of filial piety towards the elderly in the family always shows the filial piety of remembering the source of water, children and grandchildren often give sticky rice and grilled fish packages, which become precious gifts for grandparents.

Exploiting the strengths and potentials of culture and heritage, the Tay people in Nghia Do have built ASEAN-standard homestays to welcome domestic and foreign tourists . Therefore, grilled fish is still the main dish that often appears on the dinner table to welcome guests. This is a typical, popular dish that suits the taste, creating excitement and unforgettable impressions for every tourist when coming to Nghia Do.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/ca-nuong-hai-lua-cua-nguoi-tay-post879345.html