Thanh Hà

Bắc Ninh Province is known far and wide not only for its romantic Quan họ folk songs, but also for Tích Nghi fish congee, a specialty that is helping to put Bắc Ninh's culinary culture on the national food map.

When I first arrived at a Tích Nghi congee restaurant, I was impressed by the large, clean space, which was already full of diners and the friendly and enthusiastic seller, who seemed to constantly smile at his guests.

The shop is often crowded from early morning until late in the evening due to the special flavour of the food as well as the serving skills of the staff.

The seller, Hoàng Xuân, is a descendant of Madam Tích Nghi herself, for whom the dish is named. Xuân told Việt Nam News that fresh black carp and common carp play an important role in making the congee, and are required for their firm and fragrant meat.

According to Xuân, the first step in making the dish is to carefully clean the fish in light salt water mixed with lemon juice. 

Next, the fish should be boiled (set aside the water for later) and stripped of its meat, which is then marinated with broth, fish sauce and pepper for 30 minutes.

Fry the fish in cooking oil until it is firm and fragrant, and stew the fish bones in the water used for boiling the fish for at least an hour, Xuân said.

Finally, add special young rice called gạo tám and glutinous rice to the stew pot and cook the congee for another hour or more. 

This congee was first cooked by Madam Tích Nghi in Bắc Ninh’s Vệ An Ward in the early 1970s. It became so popular that her family rented a small shop to sell the congee and named it after her.

From that first small shop, Tích Nghi fish congee has become renowned as a trademark and a famous regional specialty in Bắc Ninh and the surrounding provinces.

Located about 100m from Highway 1A, restaurants that sell Tích Nghi-style congee fill the rest stops with passersby, often visitors from Hà Nội and other northern provinces.

Bùi Cẩm Nhung, a trader from the northern province of Cao Bằng visiting Bắc Ninh, said she often enjoys a hot bowl of Tích Nghi fish congee topped with fish innards and fish eggs fried until they're yellow.

She added that the dish is particularly suitable for winter days to warm up the body. Fish congee shops in Bắc Ninh are almost always crowded with diners, so if you arrive late, there may not be any seats — or congee — left.

“I realised that Tích Nghi congee is quite different from congee cooked by others. It is cooked into a thick and smooth porridge mixed with savoury fried fish, which doesn't have a fishy smell," said Nhung, adding that the congee is best enjoyed with spices or condiments added into the bowl. Her favourite additions include vinegar and garlic, dried chilli powder or chilli and fish sauce. 

Diners can also order extras, including fish innards, which are often taken with a cup of wine, or a chicken egg or several quail eggs to be eaten with the fish congee. Prices range from VNĐ30,000-VNĐ50,000 per bowl, she noted. 

Tích Nghi fish congee has become a well-known name in Bắc Ninh Province. It is not only a rustic dish but also a symbol of reunion. 

Locals often cook congee in winter or for the New Year holiday, in hopes of a lucky and prosperous year ahead. 

They believe that the dish carries a fragrant and light sweetness from nature and represents a modest but abundant life, said Xuân.

“Locals are trying to preserve the Tích Nghi fish congee recipe so as to protect their rural soul and the beautiful cultural values that are highly respected," the seller said. VNS