Unique specialties only in Quang Tri, 350,000 VND/kg still not available to buy and eat

Cool fish is a familiar fish to the highlanders in Quang Tri. But currently very few people know because they can only live in clear water or waterfalls in Huong Hoa or Dakrong. Moreover, the cool fish season only lasts from about February to May of the lunar calendar, the number of cool fish is not much and must be enjoyed while the fish is still fresh to taste the full flavor, so they are rarely sold in the market. .

Cool fish is a familiar fish to the highlanders in Quang Tri.

Mr. Xuan Anh (40 years old, Huong Hoa) said: “Cool fish is rare because of its taste: fresh, rich and subtly taste of the mountains. But to catch cool fish is not easy. If catching eels must use a hook, for cool fish, use a net, 2.5 cm sharp net because cool fish are small in size, the largest one is only 3-4 fingers.

And to have good results, each hunt of the compatriots usually starts at dusk the previous evening and lasts until dawn the next morning.

Cool fish can be processed into grilled, fried, … but the most impressive is still the cool fish. “My compatriots have the habit of rarely eating everything they have, so they save it until the cold rainy season to eat it. Therefore, they have processed the cool fish into the cool fish cheetah – a special sauce of the highlands of Quang Tri.”

Cool fish can be processed into grilled, fried, …

Cool fish cheetah is very elaborately and sophisticatedly processed. Accordingly, cool fish after being caught from the stream will be dissected, cleaned of intestines, beaten with scales and hung in rows on the fire rig. After that, the Van Kieu people wait for a sunny day to bring the fish out to dry until it dries up, then it can be eaten.

When eating, they will take some cool dried fish from the kitchen, remove all the bones and heads, then put them in a mortar and pound with raw salt, chili, pepper and grilled berries. They pound until the fish meat is loose and the seasoning is just right.

“Cool fish is eaten with sticky rice. Every handful of sticky rice will be dipped with a little cool fish chee to create the sweet taste of fish meat, the spicy of chili and the fragrant aroma of upland sticky rice. If anyone visits the highlands of Quang Tri and is invited by the people to eat this dish, they will have to “greet their stomachs” because they must be very precious to invite them,” said Xuan Anh.

When eating, they will take some cool dried fish from the kitchen, remove all the bones and heads, then put them in a mortar and pound with raw salt, chili, pepper and grilled berries.

In addition, cool fish is also a dipping dish chosen to be eaten with many other mountain specialties such as boiled bamboo shoots with cool fish, grilled pork with cool fish, or boiled chicken with cheo.

Currently, the cool fish is sold by local people to traders and restaurants for 350,000 VND/kg.