When visiting Ha Long Bay, besides the famous squid cake on the culinary map, visitors also love Quang Ninh cù kỳ crab noodle soup, made from cù kỳ, a type of rock crab found in these waters.
Quang Ninh Cù Kỳ Crab Noodle Soup, a Must-Try Specialty in Ha Long
Diners visiting Quang Ninh Province are all curious about the cù kỳ specialty. Cù kỳ are related to crabs but have two large claws that are notably big compared with their body size, brown shells, and green eyes. Only the meaty claws of the cù kỳ are popular; its spongy body is not as rich or nutritious as the bodies of other crabs and swimming crabs.
Photo: Sang Đặng/vnexpress.
Cù kỳ are easy to find at seafood markets in Ha Long. There are many culinary variations featuring this seafood, the most famous being cù kỳ crab noodle soup. This noodle dish originated among people living in fishing villages. During cù kỳ season, instead of only grilling or steaming them, they came up with another way to prepare them—as noodle soup—because cù kỳ contain a lot of roe and are suitable for making crab noodle soup.
Photo: tranvn.
Fresh cù kỳ are washed, with the claws and body separated, then steamed until cooked. The body is used to make the broth. The cù kỳ bodies are ground, strained to remove the solids, brought to a boil, and the meat is removed and set aside. The cù kỳ broth is then simmered with various types of seafood, dried shrimp, dried squid, tomatoes, and rice vinegar to create a richly sweet broth with a slight sour aroma.
Photo: Sang Đặng.
The cù kỳ claws are carefully shelled so that the meat remains intact, making the bowl of noodles look appealing when served. The large, meaty claws are skillfully shelled, making them especially eye-catching and attracting diners as soon as the bowl of noodles is brought to the table.
Steamed cù kỳ. Photo: Sang Đặng.
Noodles served with pickled chili bamboo shoots. Photo: Quang Ninh Newspaper.
To create a bowl of Quang Ninh cù kỳ crab noodle soup so delicious that diners remember it forever, all the seafood must be fresh. Fresh shrimp and mantis shrimp are steamed, and the meat is removed. In particular, they must be removed whole so the bowl of noodles looks beautiful when served. The shrimp are then briefly stir-fried with a little cooking oil and seasoning.
Red cù kỳ. Photo: VnExpress.
The noodles in Quang Ninh cù kỳ crab noodle soup are characteristically thin and soft, drenched in broth and topped with cù kỳ, mantis shrimp, peeled shrimp, pieces of fresh squid, fish cake, lolot-leaf sausage, water dropwort, elephant ear stem, scallions, and tomatoes.
Mantis shrimp are also used to make the noodle soup. Photo: hanmunwon.
Seated before a bowl of noodles with harmonious colors that stimulates both the eyes and the sense of smell, diners quickly scoop out several spoonfuls of crunchy pickled chili bamboo shoots from the glass jar, squeeze in some lime, add a piece of spicy chili, and enjoy it while the noodles are still piping hot.
The pickled chili bamboo shoots are very appealing. Photo: Sang Đặng.
There are plenty of pickled chili bamboo shoots at seafood noodle soup restaurants in Ha Long, Quang Ninh, and customers can eat as much as they like. Bamboo shoots are locally available and used in many different dishes.
Shelled cù kỳ claws. Photo: Sang Đặng.
During the rainy season, clumps of bamboo shoots weighing several kilograms are sold very cheaply. The bamboo shoots are peeled, cut into cubes, boiled, and then soaked with salt, chili, garlic, and sugar. This side dish is incredibly addictive with rice—and with cù kỳ crab noodle soup—as diners eat while exclaiming over its spiciness.
Photo: Fb Nhà Hàng Bún Cù Kỳ Hường Béo.
When visiting the heritage area of Ha Long Bay, be sure to seek out good eateries and enjoy a bowl of authentic Quang Ninh cù kỳ crab noodle soup with an unforgettable flavor. Don’t forget to follow the iVIVU blog for more interesting information to make your trip complete!
