‘Ca nuc hap cuon banh trang’ (steamed round scad fish and vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper) is a rustic and popular dish of people in Central Viet Nam.

Some traditional rustic dishes at the Co Hong Restaurant. Photo: H.L

Round scad fish have fewer bones and more flesh than other types of fish. After being cleaned and gutted, fresh round scad fish will be seasoned with monosodium glutamate, ground black pepper, sea salt, and crushed chilies, ginger and garlic. Then, they will be steamed in order to keep their fresh taste and sweet.

Steamed or braised scad in this way will keep the sweetness and fat so that it can be served with rice paper, water spinach, other vegetables and a cup of fish sauce mixed with a little braised (or steamed) fish sauce to fully experience the freshness of the dish.

With this dish, people in Central Viet Nam often choose layang scad fish because the meat is thick, and the bones are soft, fragrant and fatty.

Some studies show that the fat in scad fish is unsaturated fatty acid, which helps to control blood sugar, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, produce cholesterol and limit the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

With the taste of Quang people, the dish of scad with rice paper will be perfect if served with water spinach and a bowl of steamed fish juice. 

In Da Nang, you can enjoy the delicious dish at the Co Hong Restaurant at 103 Nguyen Van Thoai, Son Tra District.

In addition to fresh ingredients, the processing method here is quite simple, so it retains the characteristic sweetness, softness and fat of scad. A bowl of dipping sauce, a plate of crunchy morning glory when rolled with steamed scad fish and Dai Loc rice paper make the dish even more attractive. This is a few restaurants that do not use Monosodium Glutamate and refined sugar, which is good for consumers' health.

Most recently, the restaurant has launched a product of packaged steamed scad fish, making it easy for domestic and foreign tourists to Da Nang to buy as gifts for their relatives and friends.

Aside from ‘ca nuc hap cuon banh trang’, the venue offers other traditional and rustic dishes such as ‘banh trang cuon thit heo’ (belly pork and vegetables wrapped in soft rice paper), ‘goi ca Nam O’ ( Nam O raw fish salad), Quang noodles, ‘bun mam nem’ (rice vermicelli with anchovy fish sauce), and ‘banh canh’ (rice spaghetti).

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by M.DUNG