If you ask a Da Nang tour guide what to take guests to eat to "taste the sea in your mouth," the answer is always: Nam O fish salad. About 15km north of the city center, Nam O fishing village is nestled by the Cu De River mouth, at the foot of Hai Van Pass – the birthplace of the fish salad that has been around for over a hundred years.

The special feature that makes Nam O fish salad different from any other fish salad in Central Vietnam is the mackerel – a small mackerel only the size of a finger, with sweet and firm flesh, caught fresh on the same day. The fish is quickly processed: heads removed, bones taken out, meat filleted, tossed with lime juice and ginger to marinate. The people of Nam O have two styles – dry salad where the fish meat is rolled in fragrant roasted rice powder, and wet salad where the fish is soaked in Nam O fish sauce. Both are served with sesame rice paper, wild herbs from Hai Van Pass (trâm leaves, cóc leaves, đinh lăng leaves, sung leaves) and a dipping sauce made from fish heads – thick, with a rich natural sweetness.

Picking up a roll of Nam O fish salad just right, you will feel the light sourness of lime, the crunchiness of the rice powder, the forest aroma of the herbs, and the sweet aftertaste of fresh fish – all wrapped up in a small, mouthful-sized roll. This dish is suitable for guests who enjoy experiencing local "flavors," not afraid of raw fish; older people or first-time visitors should try the dry salad as it is easier to eat.

I often take guests to Nam O Fish Salad Ong Ty (Nam O 1 village, Hoa Hiep Nam) – an old restaurant, run by descendants of the fishing village; Nam O Fish Salad Ngoc Phuong (Nguyen Luong Bang) which is spacious and has parking for cars; Nam O Fish Salad Thanh Huong (Pham Nhu Xuong) near the beach, ideal for an afternoon enjoying Hai Van. The restaurant is a local home, with a rustic space, busiest from 11am to 1pm on weekends; guests should arrive early and call ahead if in a large group. The security in Nam O is very safe, but the roads are small – so it's better to go by motorbike or taxi instead of a large car.

A plate of salad, a sip of Nam O fish sauce, and then sitting looking out at the Cu De River mouth – visitors will understand why Da Nang people who have been away from home for many years still remember the taste of the village mackerel.

Content compiled by AI. Illustration: iVIVU.com (ivivu.com). Reference information: https://www.ivivu.com/blog/2022/09/phat-them-dac-san-goi-ca-nam-o-da-nang/.