Broiled fish is a delicacy of a traditional village in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An, and the dish has become famous in different localities in the region.

Residents in Dien Van Commune in Dien Chau District have earned their living by just baking fish for decades. Hundreds of local families rely on that ‘business.’

The delicious smell of broiled fish covers Dien Van all year round, regardless of weather conditions.

Though the job has been ‘industrialized’ with dozens of well-built ovens, locals have been ‘faithful’ to the traditional method of baking with coals because it ensures a better smell and taste than doing so with electric ovens.

Thirty oven owners in Dien Van hire over 200 local women to do the work.

Watching over the ovens are hundreds of workers, all of whom are women, while men perform other tasks such as collecting and transporting fish and distributing the baked fish to consumers.

Hoang Thi Thanh, an ‘oven worker’ in Trung Hau Village, said her ‘working tools’ include fire grates to put fish on and masks and gloves to cover her body to prevent burns.

“I’ve worked this job for over ten years. Without this kind of ‘ninja uniform,’ heat from the ovens will scorch our skin, causing injuries,” Thanh said.

Thanh added she uses two or three layers of gloves to protect her skin.

A woman in 'ninja uniform' is seen broiling fish. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Thanh is one of 20 women working for oven owner Ho Thi Tam in Trung Hau Village, producing on average from one to one and a half metric tons of fish a day.

The owner Tam said she and her husband get up at 4:00 am to start their business day. Her husband drives a small truck to beaches to collect fresh fish from fishing boats.

He favors collecting fresh fish caught in the night before resorting to frozen fish caught by bigger boats days before.

Tam said she earns an average net profit of VND500,000 – 1 million (US$23 – 46) a day. Each worker is paid VND160,000 ($7.4) a day.

Le Thi Huong, another oven owner, said broiled fish is consumed most in the winter because of increasing demand from beer restaurants.

But in the hot period, the harvest season of fishermen, broiled fish is consumed less, she added.

Hoang Minh Long, chairman of the People’s Committee of Dien Van Commune, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the local fish baking villages produce 20 metric tons of broiled fish a day.

Baking fish is a long standing job in Dien Van and can be considered a traditional profession there, said a local official.

But locals have become more prosperous on account of this occupation in the last 20 years, Long added.

He revealed that he is completing documents to submit to higher authorities to recognize the traditional trade villages and then Dien Van authorities will take measures to protect the environment and ensure food safety.

Fish are broiled on burning coals. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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