“Lạp cá” dish of the Thai minority

Mentioning the Thai minority's villages, tourists may recall of tides, Thai girls in their traditional graceful dress. For those who have ever visited Thai villages, it is definitely memorable dishes made of fishes among which "lạp cá" is a really special one.

	Flesh of Onychostoma laticeps is pretty nice, often selected for making "Lạp cá" dish.

As a matter of fact, the Thai people normally settle down by big rivers, brooks and fishes are much fresh and delicious. "lạp cá" dish is made of the biggest fish to entertain distinguished guests on early days of Spring or on important occasions of their family.

As soon as being caught, fish are processed by skilful Thai girls to make sure that they are hygienic. They are then skinned, made dry by means of rice bran and then sliced into small pieces. Slices of fish are then cut into thread-shaped pieces and then dipped into condensed bamboo shoot solution or sour water made of grinded clausena excavate burn leaves to turn fish rare. Fish flesh can only be fished out after 30 minutes to let dry, and then mixed up with spices such as chilli, fresh ginger, roasted sesame, powdered grilled rice, and many kinds of leaves to make it aromatic; then put onto plates dusted with fish grinded crispy-roasted skin.

"Lạp cá" is enjoyed with fig leaves or tender guava leaves and sometimes with "rượu cần" (a kind of wine drunk out of a jar through pipes). Fat and chilly taste of the fish mixing up with acridity of leaves certainly fascinates a lot of tourists.

Thuy Vi