Mắm bò hóc is one of the popular specialties of the Khmer people in Southwestern Vietnam. This is a traditional Khmer cooking ingredient. This type of fermented sauce is made from the main ingredient of freshwater fish, usually cá linh (henicorhynchus fish) or snakehead fish.
In most Khmer dishes such as hot pot, soup, fried noodles, steamed meat, etc., a little mắm bò hóc is added to make the flavor of the dish more delicious. Therefore, every Khmer family in the South often reserves a few jars of mắm bò hóc for daily cooking. Khmer people consider this fermented sauce a specialty dish and a gift for others.
History
Mắm bò hóc originates from the Khmer people in Cambodia and is a specialty condiment to treat distinguished guests to the house. In the past, mắm bò hóc was considered the only food that provided protein for the poor in Cambodia. When the local people catch fish in the rainy season, they make mắm bò hóc and save it to eat with rice throughout the dry season. Usually, there are two types of mắm bò hóc typical of Southwestern specialties: Prohok ch’oeung and Prohok sach.
Mắm bò hóc is often used by people as an ingredient for dishes such as bún mắm, bún nước lèo, bún num bò chóc.
Specialties
The main ingredients to make mắm bò hóc are fish in the floating water season. Khmer people often use snakehead fish or cá linh to prepare this type of sauce because they have a lot of meat and the meat is sweet when fermented for a long time. Although making this fermented sauce is not difficult, it requires care and meticulousness in combining spices.
In addition to the sweet taste of fish, mắm bò hóc also has the elegant taste of rice due to being fermented for a long time. In particular, above the fish layer, there is a thick layer of fish sauce used to make delicious dipping sauce or soup.
Main ingredient
– Fish (henicorhynchus fish or snakehead fish)
– Salt
– Rice
Some attractive dishes made from mắm bò hóc
- Bún num bò chóc
This is a Cambodian specialty dish, with the main ingredients being snakehead fish, mắm bò hóc, chúc fruit (quite similar to lime), and ngải bún (a fruit only found in Cambodia). The broth is made from snakehead fish and mắm bò hóc, seasoned with spices such as chúc fruit and ngải bún. People enjoy it with raw vegetables such as banana blossom, water spinach, cucumbers, bean sprouts, etc.
- Bún nước lèo
Bún nước lèo is also a typical dish made from Southwestern specialties. The broth is added with mắm bò hóc to make the dish more delicious.
People add shrimp, fish, and roasted pork on top of the noodles and add broth made from mắm bò hóc.
Recommend some places to buy
You can find mắm bò hóc at fish sauce stores or stalls in Western tourist areas. In addition, you can now also buy this product online on e-commerce platforms. However, you should deliberately observe the origin, expiration date, and color of the food to avoid buying fake and poor-quality products.
If you are looking for a delicious and authentic Vietnamese dish, Mắm bò hóc is a great option. It is a flavorful and satisfying dish that is sure to please everyone.
Get an opportunity to enjoy wonderful Vietnamese cuisine through Vietnam E-Visa!