Situated some 50km away from Hanoi, Vu Dai village in Ha Nam province's Ly Nhan district is famous for its braised fish in clay pots which has become a delicacy of the northern region during Lunar New Year Festival, known locally as Tet.
With three weeks to go before Tet, Vu Dai villagers have been busy making their traditional braised fish in order to meet orders during the country’s largest festival.
Local villagers are said to have their own secret recipe passed down from generation to generation.
Black carps weighing around four to eight kg each are selected for the dish.
A thin layer of sliced galangal is placed at the bottom of the pot in order to prevent the fish from getting burned and to create distinctive flavors.
According to the villagers, the secret of the dish lies in the ingredients and how they are prepared.
Pieces of the marinated fish are placed in the clay pot.
The villagers only use longan firewood to cook the dish as they believe it imparts a fragrance and maintains the fire for a long period. It's particularly important that it takes around 12 hours to cook this dish.
Once the fish is boiled, the cook then adds lime juice and a caramelised sauce.
The villagers have to look after the fish pots covered in smoke for hours, to ensure the fish meets the quality requirements.
A pot costs between VND700,000 and VND1.5 million, depending on its weight.
Vietnamnet.vn
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