Minh Chau island commune in Van Don district is an ideal habitat for sillago fish thanks to its clean seawater environment. Minh Chau sillago salad has become an irresistible delicacy every summer and autumn.
Minh Chau sillago salad, an irresistible delicacy in Quang Ninh
According to locals, the sillago here has white, firm, and wholesome meat due to thriving in the clean seawater environment of Minh Chau commune. The annual sillago fishing season lasts from early summer to autumn (from March to October).
Sillago fish. Photo: Thanh Nien Newspaper.
In Minh Chau, the area with the highest concentration of sillago is next to the sheltered inlet nestled between Cua Doi and Dau Cao inlet, not far from Minh Chau passenger port. This area features calm sea waters, numerous underwater reefs, and abundant food and plankton, making it a preferred spawning ground for sillago.
Grilled sillago. Photo: The Gioi Tiep Thi.
Sillago is white with a slender body ranging from 10 to 15 cm in length, resembling freshwater gobies, and has iridescent mother-of-pearl scales, which is why it is also known as silver sillago. The peak season from April to August is when sillago matures, offering the fattiest, most flavorful, and sweetest meat.
Sillago flesh is white and sweet.
During the season, Minh Chau residents catch the fish using traditional methods such as gillnetting and gang-hook angling. The average sillago harvest reaches around 7 tons. With an abundant supply of fresh sillago, locals prepare a wide variety of dishes: crispy fried, raw fish salad, clay-pot braised, sun-dried, sour soup, and more.
Sillago is high in nutritional value. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Among these, Minh Chau sillago salad is the most favored by locals and visitors alike. Fresh, live fish about two fingers wide are considered ideal. For an even more flavorful salad, spotted sillago is chosen, recognized by yellowish-brown stripes running along its body, offering tender and fragrant meat. To make a delicious salad, anglers must gently unhook the fish to keep them alive.
Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
The fish is cleaned, scaled, and gutted, then patted thoroughly dry to keep the meat as moisture-free as possible. The backbone is then removed, and diagonal cuts are made to take out the small rib bones along the belly. This is a critical step to keep the flesh intact without tearing when assembling the salad.
Fresh sillago. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Thinly sliced sillago is immediately soaked in coconut milk and squeezed with lime juice to cure the fish until semi-cooked. Minced shallots, roasted peanuts, salt, sugar, seasoning powder, chili, garlic, and minced lemongrass are sprinkled onto the fish plate and tossed thoroughly. Four or five slices of fish salad are dipped into a small bowl of fish sauce, topped with a few basil leaves, and savored with crispy grilled rice paper.
Sillago salad. Photo: Thanh Nien Newspaper.
Each translucent, fresh slice of sillago is also enjoyed with coastal premna leaves (lá mui biển), an herb unique to this area, along with classic aromatic herbs commonly paired with raw fish salads. The natural sweetness of the fish, combined with the gentle tang of premna leaves and the spicy, pungent kick of garlic-chili premium fish sauce, creates the renowned Minh Chau sillago salad.
Photo: tuhaoviet.
If you are an enthusiast of coastal delicacies, be sure not to miss Minh Chau sillago salad when visiting Quang Ninh; each region's fish salad offers a distinct culinary experience unlike anywhere else. And do not forget to follow the iVIVU blog for the quickest updates on helpful travel articles!
