With hundreds of years of existence and development, the fish sauce making profession at Chau Doc Market (Chau Doc ward) still plays a special role in the lives of people in the upstream area of An Giang province. Not only is it a bustling trading place, the market is also considered the "fish sauce capital" of the Mekong Delta with many specialties imbued with the flavor of rivers and waters.
From early morning, many stalls were crowded with people choosing famous fish sauces such as linh fish sauce, sặc fish sauce, sọc fish sauce, ba khía fish sauce or typical dried seafood of the Mekong Delta. Many tourists said that just visiting Chau Doc market can find most of the famous specialties of the Mekong Delta region.
According to small traders, the main raw materials for making fish sauce are fish that appear a lot in the flood season such as linh fish and chot fish. From about July to November every year is the time when people enter the largest fish sauce making season because the fish source is abundant, the meat is firm and gives better quality after fermentation.
Not only diverse in types, dishes made from fermented fish sauce also create the characteristics of Mekong Delta cuisine. Local people often use fermented fish sauce to eat raw, braised or stewed... along with duck eggs, pork belly. Accompanying fermented fish sauce dishes are vegetables and fruits.
Mr. Tran Van Phu, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared that he has eaten fermented fish sauce in many places, but Chau Doc fermented fish sauce has a very different flavor. The smell is strong but not harsh, delicious with hot rice or raw vegetables.
Not only serving domestic consumption needs, many types of fish sauce at Chau Doc market are also being brought to the markets of Cambodia, Laos and some other countries.
Many people believe that making fish sauce is not only a livelihood but also a long-standing cultural feature of the Mekong River upstream region. Amidst the modern pace of life, the traditional flavor of fish sauce at Chau Doc market still retains its own appeal, becoming an unforgettable mark for tourists every time they visit An Giang.
