Rach Gia (formerly in Kien Giang province, now in An Giang) is an urban area with both rivers and seas, so the source of aquatic and seafood is endemic. A typical "nowhere-so-man" dish of this land that was previously introduced is a plate of herring salad caught in the Phu Quoc sea area, and now a bowl of fish noodle soup from the Rach Gia river.
There is no such thing as fish noodle soup everywhere, along the North - Central - South, wherever there is this noodle soup. Even the "aged-named" fish noodle soup is uncounted, such as Hung Yen green-leafed river catfish noodle soup, Nam Dinh fish noodle soup, Hanoi fish noodle soup, Ninh Hoa fish noodle soup, Chau Doc fish noodle soup, Rach Gia fish noodle soup...
However, there are few bowls of fish noodles with a saying that recommends cooling the warmth of the muses and aunt who cooks fish noodles like in Rach Gia. And there is not only the above line, but there is another famous line: "Who goes to Rach Gia, Kien Giang. Eating a bowl of fish noodle soup contains human affection".
But no matter how exaggerated or intentional, fish noodle soup must still have its characteristics as a simple noodle soup, without requiring elaborate processing. Only then can it easily " enter the hearts of the masses" to become a popular dish.
We have seen this in all different bowls of fish noodles in Vietnam: Simple, simple and delicious. However, what makes each bowl of fish noodle different and unique is the local ingredients, cooking style and way of eating.
Indeed, the bowl of fish noodle soup of Rach Gia reflects this, from the geography of the land, climate characteristics and local culinary characteristics. In the bowl of Rach Gia fish noodle soup, you can find all kinds of rivers, seas, fields, and fields in this land with fatty snakehead fish, rich sea shrimp, and a lot of mineral raw vegetables.
Even though it is at the "top of the wind", Rach Gia fish noodle soup is not like Ninh Hoa, Phu Yen, Quy Nhon fish noodle soup, which uses sea fish as an ingredient to cook the noodle soup. The Rach Gia people choose fatty snakehead fish that live naturally in rivers and fields as the main pair. This is a fish with tough, sweet meat and not as fishy as other sweet juices.
The 7th lunar month is the season when fish are struggling to cross the shore, so they snuggle in riverbeds and ditches. The food is abundant with the new water, so snakehead fish is free to grow, snakehead fish meat at this stage is considered the most delicious and fatty of the year.
To cook vermicelli, you must choose wild snakehead fish with black skin on the body, white abs, only as big as an adult's wrist, but larger or smaller than this size cannot be used. This snakehead fish will have fragrant, chewy meat and sweet taste, not soft and mushy like fish.
After cleaning, cut the fish into pieces, clean the intestines to avoid the fishy smell. In particular, the fish cutting process must be very skillful so that the head and intestines are still intact. The liver and fish honey are kept intact and then steamed to be kept separately as filling for those who want to eat.
The fish is put into a boiled pot, then the meat and bones are removed separately and crushed, and put into a pot to simmer with the small fish to get the broth. When the water has cleared, filter through a fine cloth 1-2 times to remove the residue and get the cleared water in the mist.
However, this step often takes time, so the people of Rach Gia have the initiative of putting snakehead fish and small fish bones in a bag, tying them tightly and cooking them in a pot, when finished, they just need to remove them. These two ingredients that make the fish noodle soup broth always have a natural sweet taste that makes diners fall in love.
Not only the fish and broth, the Rach Gia fish noodle bowl is also attractive thanks to the golden eggs on the surface. In the season when snakehead fish does not have eggs, use fresh sea shrimp with a little fish sauce until the water is low, then bring the smooth silkworm, mix with the egg yolk and steam, form a fatty filling like snakehead fish eggs.
And then, whether it is the fish season or not, this condition gradually appears to the point of "impossible to be without" in the Rach Gia fish noodle bowl. When looking at the finished product, we see the bowl of Rach Gia fish noodle soup as a harmonious painting of color and flavor.
The peeling white color of the firm, chewy and sweet snakehead fish meat, of the vermicelli is enhanced by the red color of shrimp, yellow of eggs, green of green onions and occasional fragrance, making diners just want to eat immediately with a plate of raw vegetables and a bowl of fish sauce for Phu Quoc rice with a lot of spicy fresh chili.
That list of raw vegetables is definitely indispensable for Vietnamese coriander, spinach, bean sprouts, bitter vegetables and any type of vegetable picked in the fields and on the banks. That bowl of chili fish sauce is not to add to the bowl of noodles but to dipping each piece of fish before eating to make it rich, worthy of the strong aroma of Vietnamese coriander into a unique and unforgettable flavor combination.
Therefore, the bowl of Rach Gia fish noodle soup has enough to be proud of of the locality to create a dish that longs for the ancient capital and welcomes strangers. That is why the bowl of Rach Gia fish noodle soup has become the pride of this country, a gift filled with humanity, a delicious noodle soup that is so "the whole family follows".
