Thai
people in Dien Bien Province in the northern highlands, more than 300 miles to
the northwest of Hanoi, live close to rivers and lakes which their diet largely
depends on.
Among
their favorite dishes is raw fish salad, which is prepared for every major
family reunion or treating a special guest or for Tet, the Lunar New Year
festival. Carps selected for the dish are larger than one kilogram (2.2 lb) and
caught from a nearby stream or a pond in the backyard.
The
fish is mixed with sliced banana blossom and different herbs.
The
fish is filleted, and the cuts are sliced into smaller pieces, which according
to locals will reduce the stink and help them absorb the spices better.
Wild
banana blossom is sliced and then mixed with salt for two hours to get rid of
the resin. The slices do not just add crunchiness to the dish, but their
slightlybitter taste also helps one avoid stomachache for they are not used to
raw fish.
Thai
people often call their raw fish salad the “gathering” dish as it is made by
many people, and for many to eat together.
The
juice from bamboo shoot pickle is added to extra taste and to ripen the fish a
bit. The best Thai raw fish salad brings a perfect combination of tastes. There
is the crunchiness of the bamboo blossom, the fragrance from different herbs,
the fish’s sweetness, the sour pickle juice, and the spiciness of garlic and
pepper.
A
typical Thai food tray has salad, steamed, boiled and grilled dishes. But the
raw fish dish is not for everyone because it takes a lot of time to prepare,
locals said.
By Ngoc Thanh/ VnExpress