Salted flying fish from Hoàng Sa: A taste of sea and forest

Salted flying fish, a delicacy from Vietnam's Hoàng Sa archipelago, is prepared with young jackfruit, creating a dish that is both savory and subtly sweet, enhanced by a touch of chili. This combination has earned praise from many.

Forty-four years ago, Nguyễn Lợi, now 72, from Lý Sơn island in Quảng Ngãi province, borrowed money to buy a boat and set sail for Hoàng Sa to fish for flying fish. He was joined by two neighbors. After a 26-hour journey, they reached Tri Tôn island. The three boats spread their nets in the vast, windy sea, with nets stretching about 18 kilometers, targeting flying fish that swim near the surface.

"The sea around Hoàng Sa was very abundant with fish back then. All three boats had great catches. A few years later, we paid off the loans we took out to build the boats," Lợi recalled. Dương Minh Thạnh, also 72 and from Lý Sơn, was among those who fished in Hoàng Sa that year. The bountiful catches brought immense joy. The fish were immediately salted in the Sa Huỳnh salt storage. After several days of fishing, the boats returned to shore, selling their catch to state-run collection facilities. From there, the salted fish were distributed to rural villages and remote mountainous areas.

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The sea around Hoàng Sa was very abundant with fish back then. All three boats had great catches. A few years later, we paid off the loans we took out to build the boats.

Đinh Văn Rít, 67, a former village official from the Ca Dong ethnic group in Sơn Tây, Quảng Ngãi, shared stories from his community. Previously, the Ca Dong people would trek for kilometers through forests and across rivers to reach Sơn Hà district to trade goods. They carried forest products in their backpacks, and in return, they brought back essential items, including salted fish. Because Sơn Hà was hundreds of kilometers from the sea, fresh fish could not be transported. The salted flying fish, especially when cooked with young jackfruit, became a cherished dish, offering a rich flavor that blended the essence of the mountains and the sea.

"People up here have been cooking salted flying fish with young jackfruit for a very long time. Even though there are now roads for trucks to bring fresh fish here, people still prefer the taste of salted flying fish cooked with young jackfruit," Rít said. Young jackfruit grows near their stilt houses or on the terraced fields on the mountainsides.

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People up here have been cooking salted flying fish with young jackfruit for a very long time. Even though there are now roads for trucks to bring fresh fish here, people still prefer the taste of salted flying fish cooked with young jackfruit.