The four-hundred-year-old fish sauce making craft in Nam O village of Danang city has recently been recognized as national intangible cultural heritage.
Vats of fish sauce at a manufacturing facility in the Nam O Village. Photo by Baodanang.
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Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has announced the recognition of Nam O as one of a few traditional villages in Vietnam which still practices this craft of fish sauce making.
Nam O fish sauce has been famous for its special salty flavor, bearing in itself historical values because of the unique recipe of combining fishes and salt as well as the perfect preservation of the previous generations’ experience and traditional techniques.
It is considered not only a condiment but also carries with it local history and culture and the community’s identity.
Nam O fish sauce is made entirely by hand. The fish fermentation process usually takes one year before the sauce is extracted. The main ingredient to make the fish sauce is anchovies, which are usually caught at the beginning of the third lunar month when the fishes contain the highest rate of protein in its meat.
As many as 92 households have been attached to the craft, of which up to 54 households joined in the Association of Traditional Fish Sauce Craft Village.
According to the regulation, a product is chosen to the list of cultural intangible heritage when it meets some criteria including the representativity; bearing community and local traits; the embodiment of culture diversity and the human’s creativity; lasting for many generations; consensus, voluntary nomination, and commitment to be protected by the community.
