Ms. Tam and Ms. Ngoc Lan

Tam Ky’s 100-Year Fish Sauce Tradition: Flavour and Wisdom in Every Drop

Highlights

Meet Four Generations: Connect with the family preserving a century-old fish sauce tradition, from great-grandmother Ngoc Lan to granddaughter Tam.
Learn the Art: Explore the process of making authentic fish sauce and hear stories of trading practices from Ngoc Lan’s youth.
Taste and Learn: Try a unique fish sauce coffee and gain insights into a long and healthy life from Ngoc Lan’s wisdom.

Tam and Ngoc Lan’s story
Discover a family that has been perfecting the art of brewing fish sauce for over 100 years. Residing in a home shared by four generations, this remarkable family upholds a rich heritage. Great-grandmother Ngoc Lan, now 92, remembers bartering homemade fish sauce for rice and tea, a practice from a time when money was less common. Her dedication included long journeys carrying up to 30 litres of fish sauce a day.
Granddaughter Tam is deeply committed to preserving this cherished family tradition. Unlike many who have moved to new industries or sold their business, Tam’s family remains dedicated to their craft. She welcomes visitors with the hope of sharing and maintaining their cultural heritage. “We love it when tourists visit,” Tam says, “because preserving our traditions is crucial to who we are.”
Guests have a unique opportunity to meet these inspiring women, learn the secrets of authentic fish sauce making, and hear their captivating stories. Daring visitors can even try an exotic fish sauce coffee. Plus, gain insights from Ngoc Lan’s advice on longevity: “Work hard, eat local food, and live where the atmosphere is healthy. An ocean breeze always helps!”