Linh fish sour soup with sesbania flowers is a rustic dish that carries the bold flavors of the Mekong Delta river region. The light acidity from tamarind, the sweetness from fresh linh fish, and the distinctive aroma of sesbania flowers create an incredibly attractive soup.
Ingredients:
- 500g linh fish (small mud carp)
- 200g sesbania flowers (bông điên điển)
- 200g water lily stems (or agathi flowers)
- 100g young tamarind
- 50g garlic
- Culantro (sawtooth herb), rice paddy herb, chili
- Seasonings: Fish sauce, sugar, salt, MSG
Linh Fish Sour Soup – A Specialty of the Flooded Season
Linh fish sour soup with sesbania flowers is a rustic, flavorful dish of the Mekong Delta that typically appears during the flooded season. Fat and tender young linh fish cooked with bright yellow sesbania flowers create a light sourness, natural sweetness, and a very distinct aroma of the river countryside.
A hot bowl of this soup is not only delicious but also evokes the image of a gentle, simple Mekong Delta, where people live in harmony with nature.
When the flooded season arrives, water from upstream overflows the fields, and linh fish follow the currents back. Locals often catch linh fish by casting nets, setting traps, or using scoops along the banks of fields and rivers where the water flows gently.
Young linh fish swim in schools, so with a bit of luck, one can catch a fresh batch. The process of catching them is quiet, gently following the water, yet it contains the pure and simple lifestyle of the river people.
Sesbania flowers grow along the edges of fields and canals in small bright yellow clusters with fragile petals. They usually bloom from approximately the 8th to the 11th month of the lunar calendar. Sesbania flowers have a slightly sweet, nutty taste, and whether cooked in soup or served with braised fermented fish, they retain their very unique fragrance.
By a strange stroke of fate, the dish is created from the very specialties of the high-water season. Without being elaborate or stylish, combining a few available ingredients like culantro and tamarind pods, the dish was born as naturally as the rhythm of life in the Mekong Delta, becoming a nostalgic flavor every time the floodwaters return.
How to cook Linh Fish Sour Soup:
Preparation:
Wash the linh fish thoroughly and let them drain.
Pick the sesbania flowers and wash them clean.
Peel the water lily stems and cut them into segments.
Mash the young tamarind in hot water and strain to get the juice.
Finely mince the garlic.
Wash and finely chop the rice paddy herb and culantro.
Slice the chili.
Cooking steps:
Sauté the minced garlic with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil until fragrant.
Add the linh fish and stir-fry until the meat firms up.
Add the tamarind juice to the pot, then season with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Bring the soup to a boil, then add the water lily stems and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the sesbania flowers and cook for another 2 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Add the rice paddy herb, culantro, and sliced chili to the pot.
Turn off the heat and enjoy.
Tips for cooking linh fish sour soup:
Choose fresh, live linh fish to make the soup taste better.
You can replace water lily stems with shredded water spinach.
Season the soup to fit your personal palate.
Benefits of linh fish sour soup:
Linh fish sour soup with sesbania flowers is a nutritious dish, providing many vitamins and minerals for the body.
This soup has a cooling and refreshing effect, which helps stimulate digestion.
