Early in the morning, we visited Dan Phuoc port (Xuan Dai ward, Dak Lak). From afar, the aroma of fish occasional in the space.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hieu - who has been working in dried fish here for more than 10 years - said that the work starts at 2-3 am.
At that time, the sun had not yet risen, but the scenery at Dan Phuoc fishing port was bustling and bustling, with the sound of laughter blending in with the sound of waves.
Traders carefully choose fresh fish cakes, pack them in boxes, and transport them far away. The villagers are also busy buying fish to cut and dry.
People here often choose fatty fish as the main ingredient for processing dried fish because the fish meat is delicious, sweet and rich.
The dac fish when they first caught them were still fresh, chopped in half, cleaned, and arranged neatly on a bamboo fence, exposed to the shore sunlight.
The work requires skill to ensure even thinning, helping the fish dry quickly while still retaining its natural flavor. Ms. Hieu added that the processing process is quite elaborate. From 5 kg of fresh fish, 1 kg of dried fish is available.
Mr. Nguyen Hung, another fisherman, shared that the main job of drying dried fish is from January to September. From October to December, there will be a lot of rain, rough seas, and the family will stop. If he had bought the fish, he had to use charcoal to dry them, waiting until the sun had risen to dry them.
Every day, his family buys from 30 kg to a ton of fresh fish to process. In addition to fatty fish, wide-broken fish are also chopped and dried. After about 1.5 days in the sun, the dried fish that have reached their crispy and tough level will be collected and sold.
The profession of making dried fish requires hard work and a lot of effort. Therefore, the number of people following the profession is sparse, due to switching to other jobs.
Although the dried fish drying profession is no longer bustling, for the attached households, this is still the livelihood of persistent chewing, a substance that contains a lot of effort, faith and love for the ocean.
Here are some photos of dried fish on the beach:
