Tien River Pangasius Krempfi Sour Soup with Mangrove Apple Blossoms

Prized seasonal Tien River catfish simmered in a delicate sour broth of ripe mangrove apples, young blossoms, and crisp water lily stems.

Tien River Pangasius Krempfi (Ca Bong Lau) Sour Soup simmered with mangrove apples (trai ban) and their delicate blossoms represents the pinnacle of riverine gastronomy on Thoi Son Islet (Thoi Son Ward, My Tho City). Each year from the twelfth to the third lunar month, as estuarine trade winds and high tides sweep upstream, prized migratory Bong Lau catfish with creamy white belly fat gather along the islet's mangrove banks. Islet cooks mash sun-ripened mangrove apples to extract a fragrant, gently tart broth that never overpowers the fish. Thick steaks of fresh Bong Lau catfish are poached just until tender alongside feathery mangrove blossoms, crisp water lily stems, banana blossom, and water mimosa, served with pure fish sauce and crushed green bird's-eye chilies.