Raw fish ceviche: A savoury signature dish in Bac Giang province

“Goi ca me”, a raw fish ceviche made of the Osteochilus fish, is one of the most famous signature savoury dishes in the northern province of Bac Giang.

Raw fish ceviche: A savoury signature dish in Bac Giang province (Photo: baobacgiang.com.vn)
Raw fish ceviche: A savoury signature dish in Bac Giang province (Photo: baobacgiang.com.vn)

The dish requires an experienced and meticulous chef to serve it correctly. The cook needs to carefully prepare each of the ingredients. They have to soak raw fish fillets in rice alcohol for 2-3 minutes, take them out to dry, removing all of the bones, before draining and wrapping them with paper towel, then storing them in rice for 2-3 hours.

The well-drained fillets are then skinned and sliced into long, thin pieces with a sharp knife. The fillets are placed in a large bowl, well mixed with galingale powder and roasted rice flour mix, and wrapped with paper to marinate.

The dish is served with rice papers or leaves of loc vung, sung, and vong cach trees. A piece of the prepared fish is rolled up in a rice paper or the leaves and then dipped into a special thick sauce, which is made from finely-chopped fish heads, galingale extract, tuong (fermented soybean paste), me (fermented rice), and salt.

It will be even better when the dish is accompanied with a cup of traditional rice wine made in the renowned Van village.