Gòi Cá means raw fish salad in Vietnamese. At first, hearing the name of the dish might be a little off-putting, but the dish combination actually works really well.
But the Vietnamese have a way of making people smile with their food, and the Gòi Cá is no different. A quick Google search will pull up multiple kinds of Gòi Cá – a salad that is topped with either sardine, mai fish (whitebait), or herring.
What is Goi Ca?
Native to Vietnam, Gòi Cá is a popular appetiser, especially during long dinner courses. The reason being is that it’s light, easily shared and consumed without being too filling.
Every Gòi Cá dish stars an essential ingredient – raw fish. In coastal regions, restaurants often pride themselves on sourcing the freshest raw fish for their salads. Fresher ingredients make the dish even better.
The types of fish used in Gòi Cá varies. Some prefer to use sardine, herring, “suot” or “duc” fish. Still, the most popular option so far is the whitebait or silverfish, known for its sweet taste and soft texture. On top of that, whitebait doesn’t have an unpleasant fishy smell, which can be a turn-off for anyone looking to sample the dish.
Whitebait looks very similar to anchovies, as it is small, silverish and slightly translucent. Fresh from the sea, a tedious process goes into cleaning and preparing whitebait. Firstly, one would have to descale and fillet whitebait into long, thin pieces.
Once they are clean enough for consumption, the whitebait flesh is then marinated in lime juice or vinegar for a refreshing acidic taste. The whitebaits would then be topped with Vietnamese herbs, mints, crushed peanuts and julienned onions before serving.
How to Eat Gòi Cá
Unlike western salads, the way to consume Gòi Cá is also uniquely Vietnamese. First, you pick up a decent serving of fish salad and put it on a piece of rice paper. Then, roll it into a wrap with a lettuce leaf and some cucumber slices before dipping it in your sauce of choice.
The accompanying sauces can range from the typical sweet and sour sauce to more innovative creations. Some recipes use leftover marinade while others mix up a concoction of tamarind, banana, chilli and toasted sesame.
Besides wrapping Gòi Cá in rice paper, some families prefer to eat the salad with rice crackers as it gives an extra crunch to every bite.
Health Benefits of Gòi Cá
Since the star ingredient of Gòi Cá is fish, every serving contains a substantial amount of omega-3. The nutrient aids in promoting healthy, glowing skin and reducing the risk of heart diseases.
With whitebait specifically, there is no need to worry about ocean contaminants in raw fish as they sit low in the food chain, unlike big predatory fish.
On top of those benefits, Gòi Cá is packed with minerals and vitamins. This is due to the greens in the salad, which also reduces the number of calories in the dish.
Though it can be tempting to dip your Gòi Cá wrap in all kinds of sauce, it’s always helpful to be mindful of the excess calories the dipping sauce may contain. Having said that, Gòi Cá is now leading the still overall sits on the healthier side of the cuisine.
Where to Find Goi Ca in Malaysia
As Gòi Cá is a Vietnamese speciality, it might be rare to find it at just any stores. But fret not, if you’re craving for this healthy oriental salad, a search on foodpanda might just get you what you want.