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"La cucumbers, Lang mint, Bang spring rolls, Ban soy sauce, Van Van fish sauce, Set pond perch" is a folk rhyme passed down among the people of Hai Phong in the past. Among them, Van Van fish sauce, famous in the Indochina region of the past, is the same as Cat Hai fish sauce today.
Archaeological evidence indicates that the people of Cat Ba have known how to make fish sauce for nearly 5,000 years. According to traditional methods, the main ingredients for making premium Cat Hai fish sauce are fresh mackerel and squid, followed by anchovies and sardines. Then, using only fresh fish and salt, through various marinating and mixing processes, combined with the kneading process over time and the sun and wind of the sea, skilled artisans create this renowned dipping sauce, comparable to famous specialties nationwide.
Cat Hai fish sauce remains one of the most famous fish sauce brands in the country to this day.
At 85 Cat Ba fishing port on a late March morning, Mr. Bui Duc Hue's traditional fish sauce production facility was carrying out its usual processes of fermenting, marinating, and mixing fish to make fish sauce. Currently, Mr. Hue's facility owns more than 500 vats of fish sauce and about 20 vats of fermented fish paste, emitting a strong, pungent fermented aroma.
Mr. Bui Duc Hue's Cat Hai fish sauce production facility on Cat Ba Island.
Mr. Hue said that the traditional fish sauce making profession is not for impatient people. Fresh sea fish must be imported directly from local fishermen's boats, washed and sorted, then marinated with pure salt that has undergone processing technology. The fish and salt are marinated in a specific ratio depending on the type of fish, fermented in tanks or vats, and left under sunlight to accumulate potential vitamins (vitamin D) which kill harmful bacteria, he shared.
“During the 12 months of waiting for the fish to ‘mature,’ those in the fish sauce making profession ‘must take care of the fish like caring for a young child.’ Depending on the weather conditions, they observe the color and smell, recognizing when the fish ‘demands’ salt and when there is too much, adding or subtracting as needed. Then, they look at the sky, the sea, and the clouds to prepare to bring the fish sauce out to stir, dry in the sun, or cover and seal it to protect it from rain. All activities are based on years of accumulated experience of the people in the profession,” Mr. Hue said.
The fish used to make fish sauce are carefully selected and processed through many stages to produce the final fish sauce concentrate.
After fermenting for about a year, the fish begins to yield its liquid. The fish sauce maker needs to separate the liquid from the solids for cooking and processing according to traditional fish sauce making techniques. The filtered fish sauce is stored in earthenware jars and buried underground for about two years to produce the final product.
At Mr. Hue's facility, there are more than 10 types of fish sauce made from various types of fish such as mackerel, tuna, and scad. Among them, tuna fish sauce is the most expensive, costing 450,000 VND per liter.
Cat Hai fish sauce comes in many varieties with diverse flavors and prices.
Cat Hai fish sauce is an indispensable part of every family's meal on the island district. It is also a popular souvenir sought after by many tourists visiting Cat Ba.
Ms. Bui Thi Na, 60 years old, an employee at the facility for 10 years, in charge of welcoming tourists, said that from around the end of April to September, the factory regularly welcomes groups of visitors who come to witness firsthand the process of making the famous fish sauce of the coastal region. On average, the facility receives about 500-700 visitors a day, mainly in groups, including tourists from South Korea, China, and Europe.
Tourists visit, observe the fish sauce making process, and buy some to take home as souvenirs.
Ms. Na also shared traditional folk wisdom, stating there are three ways to identify good quality fish sauce. The easiest way is to taste and observe the color and aroma. Good quality fish sauce has a shimmering brown color, a strong aroma, a rich flavor, and leaves a saltier aftertaste than industrially produced fish sauces. The second way is to turn the bottle upside down and observe; if there are no small bubbles or sediment, it is good fish sauce. The last way is to drop a few grains of cooked rice into a bowl of fish sauce; if the rice floats, it is good fish sauce with high protein content.
Cat Hai fish sauce is rich in protein and contains many micronutrients such as amino acids, vitamins PP, A, D, B1, B2, B12, and minerals (table salt, iodized salt) that are essential for the human body. Cat Hai fish sauce does not use any catalysts; all its aroma and rich flavor are created from traditional recipes passed down through generations, ensuring food safety and hygiene standards (HACCP).
Cat Hai fish sauce has been registered as a protected trademark throughout the Vietnamese market and exported to several foreign markets.
"When the water rises, the boats rise," Cat Hai fish sauce has evolved from being carefully preserved in earthenware jars and pots to glass bottles with banana leaf stoppers, and finally to branded plastic bottles appearing on shelves in major distributors, stores, and supermarkets. Several Cat Hai fish sauce brands have been registered for protection throughout Vietnam and China, and are increasingly appearing in the markets of China, Eastern Europe, the US, the Philippines, and Laos. This demonstrates the preservation, maintenance, and strong development of a traditional craft village that has now become a distinctive cultural feature of the people of Hai Phong port city.
