Chuon Lagoon (also known as Cau Hai lagoon, belonging to the Tam Giang lagoon system) is located in An Truyen village, Phu An commune, Phu Vang district, about 15km from the center of Hue city.
This brackish water lagoon area owns an area of nearly 100 hectares, is a fairly famous community eco-tourism area and attracts tourists to visit and experience. Coming here, visitors can not only admire the peaceful, poetic river scenery, imbued with the beauty of ancient Hue but also have the opportunity to enjoy countless famous seafood species.
Photo: Pham Trong Tin
Visitors can rent a large boat, float on the lagoon for an hour for about 100,000 - 120,000 VND and enjoy delicious dishes right on the boat such as grilled black tiger shrimp, stir-fried octopus with chili,... In particular, it is impossible not to mention the fish cake - a unique, delicious, nutritious but affordable specialty, only available in Hue.
According to the people, the name of this cake comes from the way the cake is made. This type of cake is often prepared by Hue people by "pouring cakes" in small pans on a wood stove or charcoal stove, similar to pancakes.
During the cooking process, the stove produces a lot of smoke, flying suspiciously around the pan, causing these cakes to smell smoky, so they are called smoked cakes. However, according to the reading of many Hue people, "smoke" is read as "pleasure", so from there, the dish is called cake.
Photo: Nhi Hoang
At first glance, the fish cake is quite simple but requires a feat in the selection of ingredients. This dish is also special in that, usually the sellers of fish cakes at Chuon village market are not available. Diners who want to eat must go to the fish section in the market to buy fish and then bring it back to the o, the vendors pour pancakes for processing with a wage of 3,000 - 5,000 VND/piece.
To choose a delicious batch of fish, tourists have to go to the market early, when the fishermen have just brought their fishing boats back. The most famous fish market in Phu Vang district is Chuon village market. According to local people, if you want to be delicious, you have to choose a fish as big as 3 fingertips, with a yellow body and thick flesh.
Photo: @Wofdevil
Before processing, the fish is washed and left whole. Fish intestines are also retained to increase the fleshiness and greasy. According to the local people's conception, the intestines of catfish contain many healthy ingredients, eating them will help sedate and sleep well.
To make this cake, first, people fry the golden fish on a pan of hot oil first. The type of pan used is small, flat, just enough to coat the cake with two hands pinched.
When the fish is golden brown and fragrant, pour in the stirred cake flour, add a few vegetables such as bean sprouts and green onions,... sprinkle on top. The cake dough must be poured evenly with your hands, spilling all over the pan so that the cake is soft and thin. Wait for 2-3 minutes for the cake to cook, remove from the pan to avoid the batter being alive or burnt over.
Photo: Kevin Long
Locals commented that the fish cake is best eaten hot and with bare hands instead of chopsticks. Wherever customers remove the fish bones, they always eat there. The fish has a rich, fleshy taste, and the meat is tough and tender. And the cake is thin, but it is enough for visitors to feel the crunchy and greasy texture of the rice flour, combined with a little vegetables to help reduce the feeling of sickness.
Fish cake is eaten with ear fish sauce, with chili peppers and sweet and sour fish sauce. The fish is dipped with ear fish sauce, and the cake is dipped in sweet and sour fish sauce. This strange combination brings an unforgettable flavor to the dish.
Photo: Nguyen Kim Ngan
Photo: O Loi fish pancakes
In addition to fish, visitors can enjoy cakes with other typical seafood in the dragonfly lagoon such as shrimp, squid, and fish,... Each ingredient will create a different flavor for the dish, guaranteed to delight visitors.
Source: VNN