When visiting Quang Yen and the Bach Dang estuary, visitors have the opportunity to enjoy many rustic dishes. Among them, Quang Ninh’s seven horseshoe crab dishes stand out most for their creative preparation.
Quang Ninh’s Seven Horseshoe Crab Dishes – A Specialty of the Bach Dang Estuary
The Unique Seafood Species Known as Horseshoe Crab
Speaking of seafood, the horseshoe crab is perhaps one of the most unique species, not only because of its flavor but also because of its strange appearance. The horseshoe crab looks like a steel helmet, with a hard, thick gray shell, a round, flat body, eight small legs beneath its belly, and a three-sided pointed head. The female weighs a little over one kilogram, while the male weighs only half as much as the female.
Horseshoe crabs mate in pairs. Photo: Công an nhân dân.
Horseshoe crabs are distributed in coastal areas, living along stretches of sand in places with high tides. They live in pairs, building nests and staying together for the rest of their lives.
From the tenth to the second lunar month, horseshoe crabs usually pair up to mate. Afterward, the female carries a belly full of eggs and waits for the day to lay them. Because horseshoe crabs travel in pairs, finding one means catching both at the same time. The male clings firmly to the female’s back and never lets go, which is why the Vietnamese saying “cling like a horseshoe crab” came about.
Horseshoe crabs are found in abundance in the coastal area of Quang Yen.
According to local experience, horseshoe crabs must be eaten as a pair. If one of the two dies, the other will die as well; if one dies while the other survives, the surviving one will become poisonous. Horseshoe crab nets must be woven from fishing line, with mesh measuring about 8 cm and a net height of 1.5 m.
Horseshoe crabs are prepared into many dishes.
Horseshoe crabs are cold-natured crustaceans, so they must be carefully bled by cutting them so the blood flows in rays, preserving the sweetness of the meat. The intestinal portion is removed with particular care. Horseshoe crabs can be prepared into many delicious and nutritious dishes: horseshoe crab salad, sweet-and-sour stir-fried horseshoe crab, horseshoe crab cakes, boiled horseshoe crab, and grilled horseshoe crab eggs, which are both rich and fragrant. Grilled horseshoe crab eggs are served with sour pomelo, thinly sliced radish pickled in vinegar, spicy basil, Vietnamese coriander, roasted peanuts, fried shallots, and chili-garlic-lime fish sauce…
Horseshoe crab egg salad.
The meat along the back and near the tail of the horseshoe crab is very sweet and chewy. The eggs are rich, fragrant, and high in protein. If you do not want to eat the horseshoe crab immediately, you can sun-dry it for several sunny days and then hang it in the kitchen loft; when needed, grilling it will still produce a delicious, fragrant dish. If you do not grill it, chopping it into large pieces and cooking it in sour soup is also wonderful.
Quang Ninh’s Seven Horseshoe Crab Dishes
In the past, demand for horseshoe crab in Quang Yen was not high, and it was simply an ordinary dish. Later, horseshoe crabs began to be prepared in increasingly elaborate and creative ways, gradually appearing in local restaurants and tourist areas. As a result, Quang Ninh’s seven horseshoe crab dishes gradually became a brand.
Seven horseshoe crab dishes. Photo: Báo Quảng Ninh.
Horseshoe crabs have a very fishy smell, so every step, from preliminary preparation to seasoning and cooking, must be carried out with great care. This is the challenge that requires chefs to devote considerable passion and effort. Horseshoe crab dishes are cooked and served immediately; they must be brought to the table hot, as they lose their flavor when cooled.
Photo: kenh14.
The people of Quang Yen have experimented with and creatively transformed horseshoe crab into a specialty featuring 7–8 dishes, such as horseshoe crab blood pudding, horseshoe crab soup, horseshoe crab stir-fried with bamboo shoots, sweet-and-sour stir-fried horseshoe crab legs, fried horseshoe crab thighs, horseshoe crab cakes, pressed horseshoe crab eggs, and horseshoe crab vermicelli. Each dish has its own distinctive flavor, among which the horseshoe crab blood pudding is particularly exceptional.
Horseshoe crab vermicelli. Photo: Báo Quảng Ninh.
For sweet-and-sour stir-fried horseshoe crab legs, the lower legs are chopped into bite-sized pieces and soaked in hot water. They are then marinated with chili, lemongrass, and galangal for 10 minutes. Next, they are stir-fried with garlic and simmered over low heat in a thick sauce with a full range of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors from fish sauce, tamarind juice, chili…
Horseshoe crab meat salad is also popular with diners. The horseshoe crab is deboned, steamed, and then shredded before being mixed with cucumber, carrot, and thinly sliced lotus stems, along with peanuts, chili, and herbs… Mix all the ingredients with sour and spicy chili fish sauce, wait 10–15 minutes, and it is ready to enjoy.
Sweet-and-sour stir-fried horseshoe crab legs. Photo: yan.vn.
Quang Ninh’s Seven Horseshoe Crab Dishes have become a familiar culinary brand for diners visiting this area. The delicious, unusual, and distinctive flavor of horseshoe crab makes it impossible for anyone to resist these tasty dishes. Follow the iVIVU blog for more useful articles!
