For a long time, fresh sausage has been an important dish on Tet holiday for people in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, colloquially known as Western Vietnam. There are many villages where fresh sausage is made, but the most special is Go Cong. Let’s explore the unique flavour of fresh sausage, find out its origin and how to make this specialty of Go Cong.
Fresh sausage is a common dish in farming areas and is familiar cuisine not only in Go Cong, but also in other regions such as Sai Gon, Can Tho, My Tho, etc. Along Highway 50 and crossing My Loi Ferry, you can see strings of pork sausage, round and full, hung on bamboo frames. These strings of sausage inevitably catch the eye of tourists. There are about 50 households which make fresh sausage in Go Cong, and fresh sausage is distributed in shops everywhere. On special holidays such as Tet, hundreds of local people take part in making this dish.
Along roads and alleys throughout the village, under the sunshine of the region, tourists can see strings of sausage hung on bamboo frames. For traditional local households, handmade fresh sausages are more delicious than the mass-produced variety. Local people in Go Cong make fresh sausage in their own special way, considering fresh sausage one of the most important dishes for Tet holiday. Thus, they must make the most delicious and special ones, to ensure a happy Tet holiday.
Each step of the process to make fresh sausages is very important. Firstly, we must choose fresh and delicious pork – the main ingredient which is decisive for the quality of fresh sausages. In the early morning, producers go to the slaughterhouse to choose fresh lean meat, then wash it, mince it and add traditional spices. The second necessary ingredient is fat. A delicious fresh sausage must have a good combination of lean meat and fat. The fat must not be from the pig’s side meat.
The fat is minced and mixed with sugar, garlic and spices. The final step is stuffing the sausages. The coverings are pig’s intestine. It is vital to choose the right size of intestine; not too small and not too large. Next, the mixture of lean meat and fat is stuffed into the covering. Then the fresh sausages are dried. These sausages will only gain their unique flavour when they are dried in the sun.
The type of fresh sausage made in Go Cong originates from the central region. They were made by Hue’s royal chefs. At a time of instability these chefs left their rich life and took a boat for the South. They settled in Go Cong and established roots here. Thanks to the advantages of weather and people in Go Cong, the royal chefs decided to make fresh sausages. The methods of preparation for fresh sausages have been passed down from generation to generation. Today, the flavour is changing with the use of different spices, but the main process is still the same as it used to be.
Visiting Go Cong, you can both enjoy the local specialty fresh sausages and learn how to make them. Tourists will learn more about this traditional village and will remember the striking image of bamboo frames supporting strings of fresh sausages.
According to Bui Van Chin, an 82 year old local man, fresh sausages still play an important role at Tet holiday in Go Cong . They provide the special flavour of his village. Today, fresh sausages in Go Cong are known not only by Vietnamese people, but also by international tourists. He reports that he has a friend who, although living in Canada, still comes back to Go Cong to buy fresh sausages. If he can not buy fresh sausages by himself, he has his children buy some and send them to him. Luckily, villagers love their traditional work so people everywhere, whether in Vietnam or far away, still have the chance to enjoy this dish.
Arrange a tour with Haivenu and check out Go Cong, it will be a flavourful fresh sausage experience that you won’t forget!