Nhech fish (Pisodonophis boro) salad

At the time of Ngau rain (around July and August of the lunar calendar), about 2 months is the season to go fishing for Nhech fish. In science, the Nhech fish is called Pisodonophis boro. It is in the same family as the eel, but the Nhech lives in slightly salty water (Nhech Cu) and brackish water (Nhech Khet). Nhech Cu is large and horizontal, while Nhech Khet is long. The Nhech fish resembles an eel in length, but is similar in width to an eel. The Nhech fish is several meters long. The small one is 3-4 ounces, while the big one weighs up to a kilogram. The Nhech fish is slippery and fierce, so it is not easy to catch.

Nhech fish can be processed into many dishes, such as braised, fried, cooked with sour soup, braised... But the Nhech fish salad is the most popular. To prevent the salad from being fishy, ​​after catching the fish, take lime water, kitchen ash water, and bamboo leaves to remove the slime from the skin. Dissect the fish on the back like an eel to filter the bones. Fresh fish meat cut into slices has a pink color similar to the color of Snakehead fish (Channidae fish). "Thinh" is made of roasted glutinous rice, pounded to have a fragrant and fleshy smell. Quickly mix Nhech fish meat with "Thinh" for meat aroma. Get crispy fried fish skin to roll with salad. Crushed fish bones to cook vinegar (some people call it Nau Cheo). The vinegar dish is prepared with minced ginger, garlic, chili, pepper and lemongrass.

Vinegar can be processed by adding batches. Vinegar must have a dark red color, thick consistency, smell of spices, when watering the vinegar into the salad package, it should not bleed into the hands. Making dipping sauce is also important. The salad dressing is made from fish sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, chili, noodles, and pepper. Some people dipping salad with shrimp paste are also very fragrant. Nhech fish salad is served with sesame rice crackers, along with leaves such as: diep, mui tau, sung, dinh lang, mo long, etc.

When eating Nhech fish salad, each person depends on their taste to roll the salad. Some people roll it with fried fish skin, others roll it with the leaves mentioned above. But almost no one sees Nhech salad with rice paper rolls. Nhech fish salad is very delicious, fragrant and fleshy, and has a very specific taste that, once eaten, is remembered forever.

Leading Nhech Fish Salad (Goi Nhech) restaurants in Ninh Binh:

Almost of local restaurants in Kim Son sea area, Ninh Binh province (original)
Vu Bao Ninh Binh – 37 Nguyen Hue road, Nam Binh ward, Ninh Binh city
Tinh Goi – 03 Lane 248 Ngo Gia Tu road, Thanh Binh ward, Ninh Binh city
Vu Bao Kim Son – 6A Phat Diem town, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province
Vu Bao Tam Diep – Doi Du road, Trung Son ward, Tam Diep city, Ninh Binh province