Raw Herring Salad Phú Quốc (Gỏi Cá Trích Phú Quốc)
“Gỏi cá” (raw fish salad) is a long-standing Vietnamese delicacy. This delicious salad is made from freshly caught sliced raw fish fillets that have been lightly cured with acidity from citrus fruits, vinegar and salt, toss with toasted rice, peanuts, herbs, and vegetables. It’s widely popular in Việt Nam’s coastal cities. Depending on the type of fish and produce available in the area, each town has its unique variation.
The word “gỏi” originally stood for raw fish salad. People in the South, on the other hand, use the term “gỏi” to refer to any salad. The salad was dubbed “nộm” in the North. To distinguish normal salad from raw fish salad, the term “gỏi cá” was coined. However, the word “gỏi” is now widely used in Việt Nam to refer to a variety of salads, including raw fish salad.
In the past, “gỏi cá” is limited to some freshwater fish, but it has now expanded to include both freshwater and saltwater species such as carp, sardine, anchovy, red snapper, silversides, and herring.
“Gỏi cá trích” (raw herring salad) from Phú Quốc island is well known in South Việt Nam. It’s created with freshly caught raw herrings, fresh herbs, thinly sliced onions, freshly shredded coconut, bitter greens, lime juice, fried garlic, guava vinegar, and served separately with Phú Quốc dipping fish sauce made of garlic, chilli, lime juice, sugar, and chopped toasted peanuts. The main ingredients are lightly tossed together, then wrapped in rice paper and fresh herbs and dipped in fish sauce by the diner. Although this meal was formerly considered rustic, it can now be found in nearly all of the island’s eateries.
Locals frequently like to drink rượu sim or sim wine manufactured in the island with “gỏi cá trích.” In Phú Quốc, rượu sim is prepared from the native fruit known as sim or rose myrtle. During the peak season, the locals pick the purple ripe sim fruit, blend it with sugar, and leave it to ferment for 9 to 24 months. When fully fermented, the wine turns pink and has a sweet and sour flavour with an alcohol content of 10-29%.
