Try Nhech Raw Fish Salad: A Fresh, Flavorful Vietnamese Dish

Raw fish salad is a specialty at Nhech, and you should try their one-of-a-kind recipe for it. Discover it right now with MOTOGO Tours to have a remarkable gastronomic adventure.

What is Nhech Raw Fish Salad?

Goi ca nhech (Nhech raw fish salad) takes an original turn in Ninh Binh, which distinguishes it from other areas along Vietnam’s northern coast. Made with nhech fish, a kind of swamp eel, this meal is regarded as a local specialty and has a somewhat unique taste sensation that captures the gastronomic customs of the region.

Unlike the goi nhech made in Hai Phong, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh, where the salad is wrapped in banh da nem (rice paper) and served with a liquid dipping sauce, the version in Ninh Binh has their own unique taste and presentation. In Ninh Binh, the goi ca nhech is formed into a cone-like form and presented visually strikingly and tastefully right atop la sung (sung leaves).

The meal is followed by nuoc cheo, a thick, creamy dipping sauce created from finely powdered or pounded nhech fish bones. These are then boiled to produce a golden, aromatic sauce by me combining them with a fermented rice paste. The nuoc cheo is especially unique; its rich, fatty taste, thick texture, and deep yellow hue define this regional version of goi nhech.

With a little umami from the “nuoc cheo”, Ninh Binh’s goi ca nhech tastes a wonderful mix of bitterness, sweetener, and scent. The la sang offers a cool contrast that accentuates the rich tastes of the food and adds to its special texture. Reflecting the cultural legacy and indigenous ingredients of Ninh Binh, this version of goi nhech presents a really genuine and rich gastronomic experience.

The Unique Ingredients of Nhech Raw Fish Salad

The secret component that distinguishes Nhech raw fish so uniquely is the nhech fish. This fish is difficult to catch; its slimy, strong skin calls for fisherman to wade in thick muck for hours. Clean surroundings like brackish waterways, freshwater, and coastal locations let nhech fish flourish free from contaminants. Given its clean, high-protein meat, this helps explain why raw dishes like “goi ca nhech” would be excellent.

Making nhech fish calls for quite advanced knowledge. The fish is first gently cleansed to eliminate any dirt and slime using a combination of lime water, bamboo leaves, and ash once it has been caught Making a great raw fish salad depends on the fish remaining fresh and free from any nasty odors, hence this thorough cleaning guarantees that. The meat is then thinly sliced to expose its soft, pink hue and the fish is meticulously deboned to avoid any bones from showing through the flesh.

The fish is combined in Ninh Bình with “thính”, toasted, finely ground sticky rice, which gives the meal a nutty, fragrant, and somewhat greasy taste. This stage not only improves the taste of the fish but also gives the salad an unusual texture. Fried until golden, the crispy fish skin is then wrapped over the fresh lettuce to provide still another layer of taste and crunch on every mouthful.

Herbs and greens will help to accentuate the freshness and complexity of nhech raw fish salad. Usually wrapped with sung leaves, banh te (round rice paper), or oi leaves (guava leaves), the dish creates a base strong enough to retain the fish and other ingredients.

These wraps are bursting with fragrant herbs like boc cach leaves (Vietnamese coriander), mui tau leaves (culantro), mo leaves (eating morning glory), rau ma (centella), dinh lang (Vietnamese parsley), rau que (Vietnamese basil), and bac ha (mint).

Enjoy Nhech Raw Fish Salad the right way

The first step is to gather your materials. You can use a piece of sung leaf, round rice paper, or guava leaves as the base for wrapping. Arrange on it a liberal supply of fresh herbs including rau ma (centella), rau que (Vietnamese basil), mui tau (culantro), and boc cach (Vietnamese coriander). Then, form the herbs into a cone, center the fresh nhech fish, and sprinkle nuoc cheo (dipping sauce) over the top.

At this point, act fast; sprinkle on the cone some crispy fried onions, rieng (galangal), and ot (chilli). The intention is to savor the bite before the dipping sauce starts to flow, therefore producing a taste explosion with every mouthful. Fresh fish, herbs, and crunchy toppings used together produce a delectable texture and flavor.

If you would want an alternative method, skip the herbs and straight lay some goi ca nhech on the banh te. Drizzle on the nuoc cheo some crispy fish skin and your preferred seasonings. For an extra kick, top it with fried onions, chili, and galangal; then, enjoy the meal sans the typical wrap. This one provides a simpler approach to savor the rich tastes of the salad.

How to Make Nhech Raw Fish Salad

First, give the nhech fish careful cleaning to get ready. To get rid of the slimy covering, first wash the fish with lime and water mixture. To guarantee that all the dirt and slime are eliminated, then, wash the fish’s skin with lime, ash, or vinegar. After cleaning, gently fillet the fish, remove all the bones, and cut the fillets thinly, bite-sized pieces.

Next create the nuoc cheo dipping sauce. Grasp the fish’s bones and remaining bits and turn them into a fine pulp. Cook the mixture with water and me, or fermented rice, boiling until it thickens into a rich, golden sauce. To provide the sauce its unique savory and fiery taste, add rieng (galangal), sa (lemongrass), and ot (chilli).

Prepare the fish and sauce; then, gather the fresh herbs. These consist in boc cach (Vietnamese coriander), mui tau (culantro), rau ma (centella), dinh lang (Vietnamese parsley), rau que (Vietnamese basil), bac ha (mint), and la mo (Vietnamese herb). To wrap the ingredients, which will keep the fish and herbs together, use banh te (round rice paper) or la sang (sung leaves).

It now comes time to put the salad together. Lay the la sang or banh te flat; then, in the middle, arrange sliced nhech fish. Top with the fresh herbs and toss the nuoc cheo dipping sauce over everything. For additional flavor and texture, quickly top fried onions, chopped chiles, and rieng (galang).

At last fold the la sang or banh te into a cone form, enclosing the herbs and fish inside. Savour the fresh tastes and textures of the salad right now. For the whole experience, serve alongside a glass of local ruou nep rice wine and crispy fish skin on a side.

Top Spots for Delicious Nhech Raw Salad in Ninh Binh

Nhech raw fish salad is rather common in Ninh Binh in various prominent venues. The city center has a variety of neighborhood restaurants where the cuisine is presented fresh together with traditional herbs and seasonings. Another fantastic place is the Hoa Lu district, where eateries offer a picturesque setting for appreciating the cuisine.

Furthermore serving real Nhech raw fish salad created with fresh ingredients and strong tastes are local marketplaces and traditional villages near Ninh Binh. At last, many eateries specializing in local seafood—including the well-known Nhech raw fish salad—around well-known tourist sites such as Trang An and Tam Coc These sites provide the ideal chance to explore the beauty of Ninh Binh and savor the distinctive and fresh tastes of this cuisine.

One must-try meal that perfectly embodies the fresh, strong tastes of Ninh Binh is nhech raw fish salad. Whether you live here or are here for business, this is a unique dining experience that really captures the soul of the area.