Gỏi cá mai is a traditional salad originating from central coastal regions, and it's especially popular in Vung Tau and Nha Trang. It's prepared with fresh deep herring or white sardine (cá mai) as the key ingredient, a fish that has no scales and with a less pungent aroma than other types of fish.

Other ingredients used in the salad include tamarind, sour star fruit, peanuts, lime water, vinegar, roasted soybeans, garlic, onions, perilla, and cilantro. The ingredients are simply mixed together, then served with rice paper for wrapping and a sweet and sour dipping sauce made with fishbone broth.

This salad is time-consuming because the bone needs to be ripped out of the deep herring. Due to the fact that the dish is time-consuming, it's often prepared and served to guests as a sign of hospitality.