Fish is a nutritious food prepared in various ways to create delicious dishes that many Vietnamese people like.
Vietnam has many rivers, lagoons, and a large ocean that supplies different types of freshwater and saltwater fish. Thus, Vietnamese fish is often the main dish in family meals.
Here are the popular Vietnamese fish types you may see when you travel to this beautiful country.
Content menu:
1. Freshwater fish
2. Saltwater fish
3. Fish given to the kings
1. Vietnamese Fish Living in Freshwater
Vietnam’s dense system of rivers, ponds, and lagoons favors the lives and development of many species of freshwater fish.
So, taking advantage of nature’s rich resources, the Vietnamese eat a variety of fish for their daily meals.
You can see the following common freshwater fishes.
1.1 Black carp
Black carp (in Vietnamese: Cá trắm đen) is a high-quality freshwater fish with a long body, small head, and flat tail. It mainly lives in the lower part of the big river; however, it often spawns in the middle areas of large rivers.
The sweet and delicious meat makes it the most expensive fish among the freshwater species.
1.2. Snakehead fish
Snakehead fish (Cá lóc) is also known as “fruiting fish” (Cá Quả) in the North, “banana fish” (Cá Chuối) in the Central, the South is still called snakehead fish.
Snakehead fish have a flattened head, elongated body, yellow-black color, and light blue spots. They live mainly on the bottom of freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams in Vietnam.
Many diners like snakehead fish to cook soup and eat tasty grilled fish. It has a good taste, less fat, and is rich in vitamins.
1.3. Crucian carp
Crucian carp (Cá diếc) live in freshwater areas in Vietnam, such as ponds, lakes, and rice fields in plains or upland areas. The fish meat is thick, and its meat is sweet and fragrant. The body is shaped like a white flower vase.
Crucian fish is not only a delicious dish but also contains many rich nutrients. The local people often choose this fish to cook soup or fry.
However, crucian carp have a lot of bones in their meat, so if you are a foreign tourist visiting Vietnam, you need to note and be careful when tasting this kind of fish.
1.4. Catfish
Catfish (Cá trê) have a brown-yellow color with a flat head and beard and live in lakes, ponds, fields, places with lots of mud, calm water, and little light. Catfish have become good fresh food and have high nutritional value.
1.5. Red tilapia
Red tilapia (Cá điêu hồng) has a tall body in an oval shape, laterally flattened sides, short head, and wide mouth, living mainly in the Mekong Delta.
This type of fish is popular with most Vietnamese because the meat is delicious and sweet. Its price is quite suitable and stable, and it is easy to process into many tasty dishes.
1.6. Long goby
Long goby (cá bống kèo) has a small head like a pyramid. Its narrow mouth has many teeth, living in riverside, canals, and swamps.
This nutritious fish has sweet meat and soft bones, which can be prepared into various dishes, such as fried dishes, well-cooked ones with fish sauce, and hot pot.
Lau ca keo (Goby hotpot) is one of the top local foods in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, which tourists should try when exploring the South.
1.7. Short goby
Short gobies (Cá bống) live only in clean water, streams, ponds, lakes, and canals. They are concentrated in the central and Southwest regions of Vietnam, which is also very popular with the people here.
Short gobies are easy to prepare, and their meat is hard and fragrant. The delicious and attractive dish from goby must be mentioned as lightly stewed goby with pepper. This popular dish attracts many diners in Vietnam.
1.8. Perch fish
Perch fish (Cá rô đồng) is well-known among the Vietnamese people in the countryside. Perches live mainly in freshwater.
Their meat is fatty and chewy. To increase the fatness of perch meat, many chefs cook them as braised perch, grilled fish, or deep-fried perch, dipped with lemon sauce, chili, and minced garlic.
The flavor of grilled perch is excellent and helps everyone in the family feel highly delicious.
However, as the same feature of crucian carps (Cá diếc), perch fishes contain a lot of bones in their body. So, be very careful to try eating them if you are a visitor from other countries out of Vietnam.
1.9. Basa Fish
Basa fish are a core export product of Vietnam to markets in European countries and the US. Basa fish is a type of catfish, mainly living in the Mekong Delta.
Vietnamese farmers cultivate them in big freshwater lakes. The most attractive dish made from Basa fish is cooked sour soup or braised fish.
1.10. Silver carp
Silver carp (Cá mè trắng) is a freshwater fish belonging to the carp family. It has a flat body, small scales, and an elongated body with very fishy-smelling glands.
These carp live in freshwater ponds, lakes, lagoons, rivers, and streams with weak currents. They like to stay in calm water areas.
Silver carp live on the surface and middle levels of water. Their food is small plants. They will grow up quickly when fed with plant powders; the time of raising from 10-12 months can get a weight of about 0.5 – 1kg each. Especially in the Da River in North Vietnam, Ca Me Trang can get up to 15kg.
Despite that, silver carp have very fishy smell glands, as mentioned. So, many people want to avoid this kind of fish sold in international tourist restaurants. However, you can find silver carp to taste its flavor at local or Vietnamese restaurants.
Freshwater fish in Vietnam is still considered good food with rich nutrients. Due to the dense levels of lakes, ponds, and rivers, freshwater fish can be found all around the country.
If you want to try Vietnamese freshwater fish when traveling in Vietnam, you can visit Vietnamese restaurants or local families where people can cook these fish.
Also, always note that freshwater Vietnamese fish are usually fishy, and their meat contains bones, so you need to note this when eating any species of freshwater fish.
2. Popular Vietnamese Fish Living in Saltwater
2.1. Sardine
One of the most famous sea fish loved for its great taste is the sardine. This fish has white meat and a sweet and aromatic flavor. Therefore, it is very common to process it into daily or canned dishes.
In particular, sardines are exceptionally healthy fish as they nearly do not absorb many toxins in the seaweed.
Sardines are not only delicious but also extremely useful foods for the body. Specifically, the abundant omega-3 this type of fish provides greatly affects the effective regulation of cholesterol, thus helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Sardines are cooked into many delicious dishes in family meals, such as tomato sardines, ginger sardines, and fried sardines with fried eggs.
2.2. Mackerel
Surely, mackerel is always the name chosen for delicious Vietnamese seafood. The fish meat is thick, sweet, and not fishy, so it is easy to eat.
So, they often appear on the menu of families and tourist restaurants, such as mackerel with tomato, mackerel salad, mackerel vermicelli, and well-cooked mackerel with pepper.
According to scientists, mackerel is a good fish for our bodies because it provides large amounts of omega-3 and selenium. The active ingredient of selenium has a massive role in producing enzymes resistant to mercury poisoning and against oxidation in the body.
2.3. Salmon
Salmons are fishes loved by many women. They contain lots of protein and amino acids that help provide enough nutrients without worrying about obesity. Salmon fish, in particular, contain many vitamins that help bones strengthen.
Salmon can be processed into many different dishes. Soft, fat, low-bone meat is suitable for cooking delicious and nutritious seafood for children. Some delicious dishes are made from salmon, such as salmon salad, salmon with tomato sauce, salmon sour soup, salmon sushi, and fried salmon with fish sauce.
2.4. Pompano
The next fish with a sweet taste that many people love is the pompano. There are two types: white and black pompano. Both have sweet, chewy, and fragrant white flesh.
On average, 100 grams of white pompano meat provides 126 kcal. Therefore, adding white pompano to the menu two times per week will help provide your body with nutrients and healthy food.
2.5. Tuna
Tuna is an indispensable dish in Vietnam’s list of delicious seafood. Tuna meat is lean, low-fat, tasty, and non-toxic.
In particular, this fish has extremely abundant nutrients, such as omega-3, which helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, and vitamins and minerals good for the brain and skeletal system.
2.6. Herring
Herring is a type of fish with high economic value not only in Vietnam but also in fishing worldwide. It is exploited and caught extensively for meat.
Herrings have bluish skin, small bones, and long and thin stems. They often migrate into large flocks.
Herring is not only delicious but also provides many healthy nutrients. It is rich in protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12, and selenium.
One of her favorite dishes in Vietnam made from herring is herring salad. But this fish has many small bones, so you must be careful when eating.
2.7. Anchovies
Anchovies usually swim in large flocks of very small size, so people can eat their bones because the bones are very soft.
This type of fish provides a lot of calcium. It is also a clean marine fish, less prone to contamination by environmental toxins.
Many people in Vietnam are also familiar with anchovies because they are very common and processed into many different delicacies, such as stewed anchovies and well-cooked anchovies with pepper.
Typically, Vietnamese fish sauce made from anchovies is well-known nationwide and in many countries.
2.8. Cod
Cod is the common name for the Gadus species. Codfish have high economic value and are exploited, consumed, and exported in large quantities.
Cod in Vietnam is listed as a specialty sold in many local and tourist restaurants.
Cod has white flesh and a flavorful taste, so many customers choose it to cook for their families. Besides, cod is a good source of phosphorus, niacin, and abundant vitamins B12 and E.
2.9. Stingray fish
Stingrays (Cá đuối) belong to a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish associated with sharks.
Stingrays are grey in color, have a flat body, and a long tail. They are very popular in central coastal Vietnam.
The stingrays live at the bottom of the shallow sea, along the coast, where there is a lot of sand. Their color is very similar to the sand, so they often hide by lying quietly or moving very close to the sand in the sea.
Grill stingrays with spices like turmeric, garlic, and pepper. Then add a little salt and cooking oil. They will be very delicious. To enhance the delicious taste of stingrays, you should grill them with charcoal. That is a very famous seafood dish in Vietnam.
2.10. Cutlassfish
Cutlassfish (ca ho) have different names, such as hairtail, Australia hairtail, or scabbard fish. It is a common marine fish in the saltwater ocean of Central Vietnam. This fish is not only consumed domestically but also exported to many countries.
The hairtail fish has white and sweet meat with many bones concentrated on both sides of its long body. When cooking cutlassfish, the chef often cuts it into short pieces of 4-5 cm.
The popular dishes are stewed fish with pepper and turmeric, hairtail fish with tomato sauce, fish sour soup, and grilled or fried fish with pepper.
Hopefully, the above saltwater fish will help you add more delicious and nutritious dishes to the daily menu. The list will also be a reference for choosing and enjoying the famous seafood dishes during holidays in Vietnam. Most Vietnamese fish in the sea can be found at seafood restaurants in Da Nang City, Nha Trang, Halong Bay, or Phu Quoc Island.
3. Five Types of Vietnamese Fish Given to the Kings
These Vietnamese fishes are rare and delicious species that were honored to be present on the banquet tables of ancient kings in Vietnam.
3.1. Green corbel fish (Cá rầm xanh)
Green corbel fish is a species of carp that occurs in many rivers in the northern mountainous provinces and is scattered in the North Central region of Vietnam. This precious fish has been recorded in history as an advanced product of the kings for centuries.
This fish has soft bones and sweet meat, especially the greasy eggs that many eaters like to taste. Unlike many common fishes, which only taste good when they are large, this fish’s flesh is delicious from as small as a fingertip until it is big like a jackfruit.
At the moment, people in some villages in the northern lands of Vietnam still grow Ca Dam Xanh in their ponds as a traditional style. In the future, feeding this fish is considered a way to develop the economy of the countryside people.
3.2. Snakehead fish (Cá tràu)
Snakehead is a popular freshwater fish in Vietnam. Most rivers, lagoons, or lakes are good places for snakehead fish to live.
However, this kind of fish in the limestone areas of Hoa Lu Ninh Binh has an additional beauty in its name: the snakehead gift to the king (ca tau tien via).
Legend has it that during King Dinh Tien Hoang’s reign (924-979), the Ninh Binh people caught good snakehead fish in nature as a precious product to offer to the Emperor.
“Cá Tràu Tiến Vua” is another name for hill-climbing fish because they are solid and can crawl on rocks to climb to higher points, such as crevices in the middle of hills, lakes in the mountains, and even sources of water along the cliffs.
Due to the characteristics of the habitat environment, fish meat is very different from regular meat in that it is fragrant.
At present, when tourists travel to Ninh Binh, including Tam Coc, Bich Dong, and Hoa Lu, they can taste this fish. It is preserved and widely cultivated in Ninh Binh, becoming a culinary specialty imbued with the cultural history of the ancient land of Hoa Lu.
3.3. Tong Truong perch fish (Cá rô Tổng Trường)
Tong Truong perch fish is a type of perch that lives in the cave environment submerged in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. It is called Tong Truong perch because this species was discovered in the flooded cave area of Tong Truong Yen, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam.
They are morphologically similar to ricefield perches, but there are some small color variations due to their long life in the swamp and caves in Hoa Lu.
Perch fish of Tong Tuong has fatty, aromatic, chewy, and delicious meat, so it was considered a culinary specialty of Ninh Binh more than 1,000 years ago. Together with snakehead fish, Tong Truong perch is the famous fish that the couple gave to the kings during the Dinh and Tien Le dynasties.
For many years, the Research Institute for Aquaculture One has officially introduced the Tong Truong perch and snakehead fish in Ninh Binh as the products of the conservation and development program to serve the locals and travelers.
3.4. Semilabeo notabilis (Cá anh vũ)
Semilabeo notabilis (Cá Anh Vũ) is a species of carp fish found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams in Vietnam.
According to history, Cá Anh Vũ was used to advance to the king from the third Hung King period (before the beginning of the century). This fish is distributed in major rivers in mountainous provinces of Nothern Vietnam, such as the Da River, the Thao River, the Chay River, the Lo River, and the Gam River.
Their distinctive feature is the mouth flaring out like a pig’s nose, creating very thick and big lips. The lips are also the best part of Anh Vu fish because they are made from cartilage, creating a crispy feeling when chewing.
The fish meat is white and firm and has a particularly delicious flavor. According to popular belief, the meat of this fish is fantastic so that it can cure some heat-treating diseases.
Due to overfishing, this fish is almost extinct in the wild. However, they have been successfully bred in Vietnam. Despite being artificially raised, the meat of Anh Vu fish is still costly, about 700,000 VND to 1 million VND per kg. This is because farming is very complicated and expensive. One fish takes over two years to reach the meat’s weight.
3.5. Devil catfish (Cá chiên)
Devil catfish (Cá chiên or Chien fish) is a type of catfish distributed mainly in the rivers in the mountainous region of northern Vietnam. It is often dubbed the lord of the river.
Because of its ferocious and bloodthirsty nature, it can reach a size of 70 – 80kg in adulthood. It eats all aquatic species smaller than it, even attacking humans when threatened.
The meat of the devil catfish is delicious, but this fish is more famous for its large, thick stomach, like a pig’s stomach, crunchy and lumpy, a specialty stomach given to the Vietnamese kings.
Although Chien fish is available in many places, this fish at the Da River still has the most incredible taste. Like many other unique fishes, although they have been less in the wild, Cá chiên has been artificially grown in some localities in North Vietnam.
In conclusion
Vietnamese fish living in freshwater and seawater are easy to find and taste their flavor. You can also try eating these fish cooked and served in seafood restaurants or a local family.
However, the five types of fish that used to be given to the Vietnamese kings are not very common. So, if you want to try tasting them when you visit Vietnam, you should have a local person check these rare fish species available in advance. And please know that they are not cheap.
When you taste any fish species in Vietnam, please be careful with their fishy taste and bones in the body.
I hope you find a different taste and learn more about Vietnamese cuisine to enrich your journeys.
Will you travel to Vietnam to taste one of these fishes?