Given by the unique and tasty flavors, the dish of braised fish in Vu Dai Village, has been known throughout the country and had brought decent incomes for local people during the peak season of Tet.

The dish is prepared from grass carp and many spices including fish sauce, red pepper, galangal, lemongrass, onion, lemon juice, and ginger. The fish has to be cooked in clay pots using dry wood in at least 12 hours. Tthe braised fish should be soft to its bone and taste buttery but not too fat. Besides, the mixture of different spices gives the dish a special flavour.

The braised fish of Vu Dai Village has become a famous brand. Despite its high prices, the dish is being bought by many people to enjoy or give away as presents during Tet.

As Tet is approaching, the villagers stay up all night to prepare braised fish for customers in Vietnam and abroad. The villagers starting making the dish since the start of lunar December. Some people had to hire dozens of new employees in order to fulfil their orders during this time.

From the first days of the 12th lunar month, Mr. Nguyen Ba Toan in Hoa Hau commune, Ly Nhan district, Ha Nam province and his family members began the year-end season to serve customers on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

To produce the famous braised fish product of Vu Dai village, Toan bought black carp weighing from 3kg as raw materials. 
Each day Toan’s family produces 500 pots of braised fish, which are priced 600,000 VND/1.5kg - 2 million VND/3.5kg.
The cooks have to use a special kind of mask to protect themselves from the smoke while cooking long hours.

The first step to making a good dish is to clean the earthenware pots well and rinse them with boiled water. Black carp are the most popular fish used and bought from all over Vietnam. The fish must be healthy and weigh at least three to four kilos.

The fire must be constantly kept at a low level for 16 hours so that the essence of galangal root, chilli, and coconut milk and other ingredients can soak into the fish. That's why the villagers have to take turns to stay up all night and look after the fire.
Thousands of pots of fish are sold during Tet. Many buy Vu Dai braised fish as a present.
The largest markets for Vu Dai braised fish during Tet are Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (accounting for 80% of output). This product is also exported to Germany, France, Korea, Thailand...
Over 60 households in the village make braised fish.

Anh Nguyen