Straining under the scorching sun
In the scorching sun of the last days of May, many households in Dong Hoi ward, Quang Tri province are still diligently drying sea shrimp paste from noon to early afternoon. Under the high outdoor temperature, the yard surface is scorching hot, coastal women have to cover themselves from head to toe, continuously drinking water to cope with harsh weather.
At about 12 noon, when many people tried to avoid the sun, large carpets were already spread all over the coastal areas. Fresh batches of shrimp paste just brought from the sea were quickly poured out, raked evenly to make the shrimp paste dry quickly under the harsh sunlight.
The hot atmosphere made everyone tired. Although wearing wide-brimmed hats, masks, and long-sleeved jackets, after only a few minutes of working, sweat was soaking the back of the shirt.
Ms. To Thi Thu Hang (53 years old, resident of Dong Hoi ward) said that the shrimp paste drying profession depends heavily on the weather, so no matter how hot it is, people have to take advantage of working.
“Now the sun is very strong, standing outside in the yard for a while makes my eyes dizzy and my face burn. But to make the shrimp paste beautiful and dry quickly, it must be dried right when the sun is harshest. We work continuously, so we have to drink water regularly, sometimes we are too tired and have to rest halfway,” Ms. Hang said.
Be on duty to avoid shrimp paste that is too dry
According to Ms. Hang, on normal sunny days, a batch of shrimp paste must be dried for about 4 hours to reach dryness. However, at this time, it only takes about 2 hours for shrimp paste to become firm, and it can be collected to continue drying a new batch.
When there is strong sunshine, shrimp paste dries quickly, making more batches, but people are also much more exhausted. Anyone who goes to dry shrimp paste this season must be completely covered, wear gloves, and bring more ice to drink," Ms. Hang added.
Under the scorching sun, each hand still skillfully stirred the shrimp paste continuously to avoid it forming lumps or becoming unevenly dry. Many people had to bow close to the yard for hours, the heat from the cement floor splashing up made the atmosphere even more suffocating.
Ms. Dao Thi Lieu (64 years old), who has been attached to the shrimp paste drying profession for many years, said that this year's shrimp paste season is more productive, but extreme hot weather makes the work more difficult than before.
In the old days, the sun was hot but not as hot as it is now. Now around noon, it's hot and burning, standing outside in the yard for a long time is easy to feel lightheaded. I have to wear multi-layered clothes, wrap a scarf around my head, work for a while, then go to the motel and then come out," Ms. Lieu said.
According to Ms. Lieu, each sea trip, fishermen can catch from a few quintals to tons of shrimp paste. After landing, shrimp paste must be pre-processed and dried immediately during the day to maintain its freshness.
Sea shrimp paste is a familiar seafood of people in the coastal area of Quang Tri. Although the price is not too high, it is an important source of income for many households in the summer. Sea shrimp paste can be processed into many dishes such as shrimp paste, stir-fried shrimp paste or dried shrimp paste for gradual use.
The shrimp paste season usually lasts from about May to after Tet. For coastal people, the sun is a favorable condition to work, but prolonged heat waves like today also make work more difficult. However, amidst the scorching heat, the shrimp paste fields are still red and pink under the sun, people are still diligently making a living to catch up with batches of goods during the day.
