Van Don culinary specialties

Delicious dishes from Cu Ky

Cù kỳ is a type of sea crab with two large claws, a brown shell, green eyes, and firm meat. When fishermen catch cù kỳ, they often steam or grill it to preserve its distinctive flavor. In restaurants, cù kỳ is processed into many different dishes. Cù kỳ claws can be fried with salt, tamarind, or the meat can be peeled to make cù kỳ vermicelli. Cù kỳ body will be ground, filtered and become the ingredient to make broth.

According to locals, the best time to enjoy the sea cucumber in Quang Ninh is around March - April. At this time, the sea cucumber has a lot of roe, white and thick meat. May - June is the time when the sea cucumber reproduces. From August, when the monsoon begins, the sea cucumber burrows deep into the caves, making it difficult to catch.

Sandworm - "ginseng of the sea"

Sandworm is one of the famous specialties of Van Don, likened to “sea ginseng” thanks to its high nutritional value and unique flavor. Sandworms are concentrated in the sandy beaches of the island communes of Minh Chau and Quan Lan. Van Don sandworms are considered to be of the highest quality and have the highest price in the country, from 3 to 6 million VND/kg of dried product.

Fresh sea worms are often processed into many dishes such as betel leaf soup, stir-fried kohlrabi or salad. Dried sea worms are used to cook pho broth and soups that require the rich sweetness of the ocean. The chewy, crunchy taste of sea worms combined with the characteristic aroma makes this dish a "star" in the hearts of diners every time they come to Van Don.

Oysters

Thanks to the characteristics of a calm bay, many rocky reefs, and high salinity, Van Don sea area has become an ideal habitat for raising milk oysters. Up to now, the water surface area for raising milk oysters in Van Don has expanded to nearly 3,700 hectares, bringing high economic value.

Van Don milk oysters are considered rich in protein, zinc and many other beneficial micronutrients, very good for health. Oysters are processed into many delicious dishes. In addition to eating raw, grilled with scallion oil, Quang Ninh people also make tomato sauce with chopped raw vegetables, fry eggs, and cook porridge. In addition, when coming to Van Don, you will experience oyster floss. Oyster floss is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients, very suitable as a gift.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/dac-sac-am-thuc-van-don-701892.html