In the previous issue, we explored the bowl of vermicelli with fermented fish sauce of the Central region with the soul being fermented fish sauce. That bowl of vermicelli with fermented fish sauce can be minimized to the maximum, only including vermicelli mixed with fermented fish sauce, or more elaborately adding a few slices of boiled pork, roasted pork, beef sausage... However, the bowl of vermicelli with fermented fish sauce of the Mekong Delta reflects a completely different aspect: Wealth.
Farmed by the Mekong River system with 2 main veins, the Tien River and the Hau River, the seafood resources of the South deserve the saying "you have to scoop up fish and shrimp to see water". A favorable habitat for seafood to live and develop thanks to the large water surface area is a condition, but it is still necessary to mention the rich addition thanks to the rhythm of movement of the 2 great veins in the flood season.
The Mekong River provides the Southern Delta with water, seafood and alluvium. It is impossible to say which is more important than which, but clearly, alluvium is the nutrient to nourish the delta and the entire flora and fauna system here.
And the flavor of alluvium is soaked in every piece of Western vermicelli with fish sauce, in both material and spiritual aspects. It is full, overflowing, rich, open and generous. Therefore, it can be assessed that the vermicelli with fish sauce deserves to be the representative face of Western and Southern cuisine.
Like the fermented fish sauce of the Chinese, fermented fish sauce is also the soul of Mekong Delta vermicelli and fermented fish sauce, but the usage and processing methods are completely different. The fermented fish sauce for making vermicelli must be cooked to dissolve the meat of the fermented fish sauce, then filtered out the bones. Then, this "fish sauce" is cooked with fresh lemongrass and ngải vermicelli root - a type of spice originating from Khmer - to make broth.
Western vermicelli with fish sauce is originally a dish of indigenous Khmer people, then modified according to Kinh people and Chinese migrants, to create a common harmonious identity of 3 tastes, 3 cuisines. Therefore, vermicelli with fish sauce in Soc Trang region (now Can Tho province) is still considered the most original flavor of the Western vermicelli with fish sauce sect because it expresses the smooth tolerance between 3 ethnic groups living in this land.
Western fermented fish sauce is extremely diverse, but to cook vermicelli with fermented fish sauce, people often use linh fish sauce or suckling fish sauce and choose the third option, both linh fish sauce and suckling fish sauce.
As mentioned above, the fermented fish sauce is cooked until dissolved, bones are removed, then stewed with pork bones, fresh lemongrass, and vermicelli to soothe the saltiness and create a sweetness base. The success or failure of cooking vermicelli with fermented fish sauce depends on the quality of this broth.
The broth must have a very characteristic aroma of fermented fish sauce, with a salty taste of fermented fish sauce, but the smell must not be too strong, and the taste must not be too salty. To handle these contradictory requirements, you must know how to coordinate the amount of fresh lemongrass and vermicelli mixture just enough, because if too little, the smell will be strong, and too much will cause harshness.
Next, the quantity of pork bones and broth will determine the saltiness and sweetness of the broth. People only use pork bones and not beef bones to stew, because beef bones can be sweet but smelly, while pork bones stewed quickly bring a light sweetness.
In general, after cooking a pot of rich broth, harmonious aroma of lemongrass and fish sauce, when stirring it feels shimmering and a bit heavy because of the fish sauce meat, it is also "finished work". Whatever remains in the bowl of vermicelli is extremely simple: Whatever is available, use that, but in the Mekong Delta, what is available to use is extremely abundant and is born thanks to alluvium grains in the Mekong River.
Fresh squid cut into slices, fresh shrimp peeled, sliced basa fish, filleted snakehead fish, crispy roasted pork skin cut into squares, fish cake rolled into round pieces, blood (blood) of pork cut into lumps... roughly 7 - 8 things "have whatever" to make filling for bun mam, creating a dish that must use adjectives such as ê hề, tràn trề, giàu to describe.
That's just the protein part, and the vegetable part is not considered. To eat vermicelli with fish sauce in the Mekong Delta, a vegetable ecosystem is needed because it is the vegetables that make up the Mekong Delta quality. There are basic vegetables such as herbs, bean sprouts, mustard greens, banana stems, split water spinach, water spinach... but there are also vegetables that only the Mekong Delta has such as điên điển flower, so đũa flower, kèo nèo.
These are vegetables growing on rivers, around ponds, in gardens and fields. These vegetables create the Mekong Delta character in the bowl of vermicelli with fish sauce. From the name onwards, what a điên điển, kèo nèo, bồn bồn.... sounds meaningless but is close, rustic, and dear.
Vegetables, meat, fish, and fish sauce all come from the Mekong River, all thanks to alluvial seeds. They can harmonize with each other thanks to fish sauce, thanks to the stew that balances lemongrass and fish sauce. The flavor of fish sauce not only creates the characteristic smell of vermicelli and fish sauce, but also wraps the ingredients in the bowl of vermicelli into a unified whole, like alluvial water surrounding the delta.
The richness in the bowl of vermicelli soup does not make this dish luxurious and it is still a dish of everyone, of all classes in society. The reason for this bowl of vermicelli soup is thanks to the generosity of the Tien and Hau rivers, so that generosity is clearly shown in vermicelli soup and in the personality of people in the Mekong Delta.
That generous personality has shaped the identity of Mekong Delta cuisine, for Mekong Delta vermicelli with fish sauce whether it is Soc Trang vermicelli with fish sauce, Tra Vinh vermicelli with fish sauce, Can Tho vermicelli with fish sauce, An Giang vermicelli with fish sauce, Ca Mau vermicelli with fish sauce or vermicelli with fish sauce sold at Ben Thanh market (HCMC).
