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Grilled snakehead fish
Grilled snakehead fish, also known as upside-down snakehead fish, is a signature dish of Southern Vietnam. This dish is associated with the pioneering period of the region. The preparation of grilled snakehead fish is incredibly simple. After catching the fish from ditches or rice fields, skewer it lengthwise with a stick and grill it directly over a fire or straw. When the fish is covered in a layer of charred black skin, it's cooked. Remove the fish from the skewer, scrape off the black skin to reveal the tender, fragrant white flesh. Grilled snakehead fish is served with various garden vegetables, fermented fish sauce, and thin rice paper wrappers.
Steamed snakehead fish with gourd
While the way to eat it is similar to grilled snakehead fish wrapped in banana leaves and dipped in sauce, the preparation process for steamed snakehead fish with gourd is more elaborate and time-consuming. After cleaning the snakehead fish, marinate it with spices for about 30 minutes, then steam it. When the fish is cooked through, place it on a mango-shaped plate, and arrange the unripe gourd (with the skin intact) cut into cubes around it. When ready to eat, heat the fish and cook the gourd until tender.
Fish noodle soup
In Southern Vietnam, there are numerous noodle dishes featuring snakehead fish, the most notable of which include bun ken, bun ca Soc Trang, bun ca Chau Doc, bun ca Tra Vinh, bun mam, bun Thai, etc. Despite different names and preparation methods, the snakehead fish is prepared in the same way in all these noodle dishes. Specifically, after cleaning and boiling the snakehead fish, the flesh is separated or stir-fried with turmeric. The fish broth is then seasoned with bone broth and spices to create the soup base.
Banh canh
Besides the tender, sweet slices of white fish, snakehead fish noodle soup attracts diners with its light and sweet broth, crispy and soft straw mushrooms, thick and chewy noodles, and a bowl of fish sauce containing plump, flavorful anchovies, paired with rustic bitter herbs. Refreshing, easy to eat, and easy to digest, snakehead fish noodle soup can be enjoyed at any time of day, in any season, but it's most satisfying on slightly chilly mornings.
Snakehead fish porridge
Snakehead fish porridge has many advantages. First, it's refreshing, then there's the irresistible deliciousness of a series of ingredients like straw mushrooms and minced meat. To achieve the perfect softness, smoothness, and texture, the porridge isn't made with rice but with glutinous rice. The cooking method also doesn't involve adding raw glutinous rice directly to the broth; instead, it's roasted until golden brown with a little pepper and salt before being added to the broth. Unlike other porridges, Southern Vietnamese snakehead fish porridge is served with bitter herbs and fermented soybean paste, making the fresh fish slices even more fragrant and flavorful.
Fish porridge hotpot
Fish porridge hotpot can be considered a larger-scale development of fish porridge, with the ingredients multiplied many times, making it more suitable for a shared meal than for a single person. Snakehead fish porridge hotpot captivates diners with its fragrant, soft, and piping hot sticky rice porridge, mung beans, meatballs, straw mushrooms, the sweet and fatty taste of snakehead fish, the fresh sweetness of mung beans, the rich flavor of duck eggs, or the fresh taste of chicken eggs. Importantly, this hotpot is not only suitable as a snack but can also be used as a health-boosting dish.
