The shrimp paste season in Quang Ngai usually lasts from March to August every year. This year, thanks to favorable weather, calm sea, and beautiful sunshine, shrimp paste appeared densely and came close to the shore.
Fishermen only need to go to sea about 3-4 nautical miles from the shore to be able to harvest. Pork floss after being caught is purchased by traders right at the beach at a price of only about 20,000 VND/kg. However, when transported to central markets in the province, the selling price increases more than double.
The cheap price makes shrimp paste a familiar dish in many families' meals. With only 20,000 VND for fresh shrimp paste, a family of four can immediately have a delicious stir-fried dish, "killing" the hot rice pot. Rustic and familiar, so almost everyone in Quang Ngai has enjoyed dishes made from sea shrimp paste.
Sea shrimp paste is considered one of the cheapest seafood in the locality, but it is very popular because of the diversity in processing methods. From fresh shrimp paste, people can make shrimp paste, stir-fried shrimp paste, or dry it to use gradually, stir-fry and eat with vegetables. Each processing method brings a unique flavor, but both retain the natural sweetness characteristic of shrimp paste.
Among them, simple dishes such as stir-fried pork floss with chives or stir-fried pork floss with lettuce are always loved by many people. To make the stir-fried vegetable dish more flavorful, people often mix sauce according to the familiar recipe: crushed Ly Son chili and garlic, add sugar, fish sauce, squeeze a little lemon and mix with a little boiled and cooled water. A bowl of fish sauce that harmonizes salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors is the "soul" that makes the dish more attractive.
Fresh ruoc after buying is washed, drained and then stir-fried with chives. Because ruoc is small and soft, it only needs to be stir-fried quickly for about 2-3 minutes to cook, retain sweetness and not dry. The finished dish has eye-catching colors, spreading fragrance, stimulating taste buds from the first sight.
Some people like to eat stir-fried shrimp paste with hot rice, simply bringing rice. Some people choose to eat it with grilled rice paper - a crispy cake typical of the Central region. When biting a piece, the crispy taste of the cake blends with the fatty, sweet taste of shrimp paste, creating a rich, spreading feeling on the tip of the tongue, making anyone who has ever tasted it unforgettable.
Among the countless delicacies of Quang Ngai cuisine, sea shrimp paste is not a high-class dish, but it carries the flavor of the sea, of simplicity and rusticness. It is this simplicity that creates its own attraction, making shrimp paste a dish associated with the lives of people here through generations.
