“Crabs in the third lunar month, ca ra in the eighth”—visiting Dong Trieu, Quang Ninh around this time, travelers have the opportunity to savor the local river ca ra crab specialty. Among its dishes, ca ra hotpot is by far the most favored during freezing winter days.
An Enticing Cold-Season Specialty
Ca ra is a species of crab that looks similar to the small river crab (ram) but is larger in size. It is also known as the mitten crab because the tips of its pincers feature a tuft of black fuzz that is soft and velvety smooth. While swimming crabs, stone crabs, and sea crabs usually have uneven pincers—one large and one small—the ca ra crab has only two small pincers and eight legs.
The ca ra crab. Photo: Vietnam Craft Village Magazine.
“Crabs in the third month, ca ra in the eighth” is a folk saying indicating the harvest season of ca ra. However, the peak season begins from the 9th and 10th lunar months onward, when the ca ra crab is at its richest, fattiest, and most delicious. The ca ra season in Dong Trieu starts as autumn turns to winter and extends until early spring of the following year.
River ca ra crab. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra crabs typically burrow in deep water areas and around culvert gates. They are nocturnal foragers that feed on mollusks, small shrimp, and miscellaneous fish. Therefore, local fishermen set tubular traps along riverbanks from midday until the next morning or use dip nets to catch them at night.
Fried ca ra crab with lolot leaves. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra crabs can be prepared into various dishes such as tamarind stir-fry, steamed, braised with lolot leaves, or cooked in soups... but perhaps the most distinctive dish is ca ra hotpot.
Malabar spinach soup with ca ra crab. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
How to Cook Ca Ra Hotpot
Cooking the hotpot is quite straightforward: clean thoroughly, remove the carapaces, keep larger crabs for dipping directly into the pot, and puree the smaller ones before straining to extract the crab juice. To achieve an authentic hotpot flavor, preparing the broth is the most essential step. The pureed or pounded ca ra crabs are carefully filtered to extract the crab meat and roe. A pinch of salt is added while grinding so that the crab roe coagulates into thick clusters. Seasonings for the broth include sugar, salt, MSG, dried shallots, tomatoes... and especially fermented rice vinegar (giam bong) to impart a distinctive sour tang.
Ingredients for a ca ra hotpot. Photo: Thai Binh Newspaper.
The crab liquid is brought to a gentle simmer until the crab roe forms floating rafts, which are then scooped out into a bowl. Next, sauté minced shallots in a pot until fragrant, add sliced tomatoes, and pour in the rice vinegar to create an aromatic, slightly thickened paste. Then, pour in the strained crab broth, bring it to a boil, and season to taste.
Golden, glistening hotpot broth. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Ca ra hotpot is best enjoyed with buffalo meat, pork cartilage, fried tofu, fried shallots, and other side ingredients, along with vegetables such as banana blossom, perilla, giant elephant ear stems, and Malabar spinach. However, to preserve its delicate signature flavor, many diners prefer eating the hotpot with finely shredded mixed fresh herbs and a plate of julienned calabash gourd.
Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
Gathering around the hotpot. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
In the chilly winter of the Northeastern region, savoring a piping-hot, rich, beautifully golden pot of ca ra hotpot alongside fresh greens makes for an unforgettable culinary experience for visitors to Quang Ninh. Follow the iVIVU blog to explore more helpful guides for your perfect trip!
