The most famous grilled fish village in Tan Phu district (HCMC) is Cuc Bui fish oven with 3 stalls of grilled snakehead fish located in front of Tan Ky Tan Quy street, which consumes more than 5 tons of snakehead fish per year.

Formed in association with the history of opening in the ecological natural conditions of the Southwest region, grilled snakehead fish has become a specialty of this place and almost appeared in many worshiping ceremonies to the gods. Offering grilled snakehead fish as in the generous concept of Westerners is to offer grace on the most quintessential products from the local heaven and earth. In recent years, when snakehead fish has become a popular and convenient dish, it has become more and more popular with families, not only Westerners.

Stretching for more than 10km on Tan Ky Tan Quy Street (Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City), there are more than 20 households selling grilled snakehead fish, that’s why every Tet holiday, people in the city often come here to buy. Grilled snakehead fish, the most crowded is the occasion of the God of Fortune (January 10).

The most famous grilled fish village in this village is the Cuc Bui fish oven with 3 stalls of grilled snakehead fish located on the front of Tan Ky Tan Quy street (Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City).

The largest grilled snakehead fish oven in Tan Phu, Ho Chi Minh City “burns red” overnight to serve the God of Fortune day.

Mobilizing more than 30 recipes overnight to bake more than 5 tons of snakehead fish

“This tradition of making fish has been around for about 17 years, my wife and I came up with it, since H5N1 switched to this profession. Since then, each person has bought and eaten a lot,” said Mr. Le Van Tho (owner of Cuc grilled snakehead fish establishment. Dust) told us. Mr. Tho is the owner of Cuc Bui grilled snakehead fish – the oldest famous grilled fish oven on Tan Ky Tan Quy street.

To serve this year’s God of Wealth, Mr. Tho’s fishery consumed 5 tons of snakehead fish, mobilizing more than 30 workers to work through the night.

Snakehead fish is cleaned and salted, skewered with sugar cane before being grilled.

“Only to prepare for the day of God of Fortune alone is 5 tons, this year we made about 1000 more than last year, we baked from noon to 8 pm tonight, we have about 3000. From before Tet to today, I sold them. The staff is about 30 people working, there are my children and grandchildren outside of Vung Tau village to help, everyone in here shares a job each, sharing together,” said Mr. Tho excitedly.

In order to have a bountiful season of grilled snakehead fish lasting from the 23rd day of the lunar calendar in the year of the Tiger to the 10th day of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Tho’s oven had to be prepared about a month before. From the stage of ordering fish, mobilize people to do and divide the jobs so that they are on the reels.

It is known that each piece of grilled fish will come with raw vegetables, vermicelli and dipping sauce, the price ranges from 180,000 VND to 250,000 VND / portion depending on the size of the fish.($1=24,000 VND)

After the cleaning process, the worker will pierce a piece of sugarcane from the fish’s mouth into the fish’s belly and bring it to salt, the fish is grilled on 5 charcoal ovens that are always red, each oven will be in charge of 10 – 15 birds every 30 – 45 minutes.

“Particularly preparing for the day of the God of Wealth took 10 days to work through, both selling and doing. Each person at each stage, the marketer beat the fish, the vegetable maker, the onion cutter, the sauce maker, and the griller. Grilling fish is the stage that takes the most time, followed by the making of sauces, sauces must be prepared 4-5 days in advance.Tonight, stay up all night, 5 tons of this fish will be sold until about 3 pm tomorrow. Then, the purchasing power is very fast. The previous batch was done until morning and tomorrow morning.”

After the fresh fish is brought back from the fishery, the heavy work such as fish farming, fish making, salting, sugar cane piercing will be done by male workers. As for the distribution of vermicelli into small plastic bags, washing vegetables, making dipping sauces, cutting onions, and roasting beans, the female workers will be in charge.

Grilling fish is the part that takes the most time. After the cleaning process, the worker will pierce a piece of sugarcane from the fish’s mouth into the fish’s belly and bring it to salt, the fish is grilled on 5 charcoal ovens that are always red, each oven will be in charge of 10 – 15 birds every 30 – 45 minutes.

The largest grilled snakehead fish oven in Ho Chi Minh City is red all night to serve the day of God of Wealth

Buyers are “terrible”, some people are willing to wait 2-3 hours

Talking about purchasing power last year, Mr. Tho can only describe it with the phrase “terrible crowd”, also according to this boss in recent years, Saigon people have tended to prefer grilled snakehead fish, that’s why. but the grilled snakehead fish shops on this day work non-stop.

More than 5 tons of grilled fish are ready for the day of God of Wealth tomorrow.

“They buy fish, they always suffer, many people stand for 2-3 hours and still can’t buy fish. Orders are many but dare not accept, for fear of forgetting people shouting, that day can’t eat and drink. only water, whoever comes to buy it will sell it to others,” said Mr. Tho.

Also according to Mr. Tho, since the day “grilled snakehead fish” is popular, many people in Tan Phu district and people everywhere in general have jobs. For every sale of grilled fish through a New Year’s holiday season, the income is already equal to a few months of work.

“Everyone enjoys the blessings of heaven together. Anyone who knows how to grill fish can also grill it. In Saigon now they make a lot of grilled fish.”

Grilled fish right now is busier than ever.

Photo: Internet (vinlove.net)