The 'long-legged' specialty is considered a panacea for men in Kien Giang

Ha Tien ( Kien Giang ) is not only famous for its beautiful natural scenery but also attracts tourists with its diverse cuisine, imbued with Vietnamese - Chinese - Khmer culture. One of the "famous" specialties here that cannot be missed is ca xiu.

Ca xiu is a mollusk with a green shell and soft, sweet meat. They often live buried under mud and appear a lot in Dong Ho lagoon, Ha Tien town.

Ca xiu lives in rivers, estuaries, and brackish water, so its long legs are exposed to easily find food (Photo: Huynh Trinh Trung Au).

According to locals, ca xiu can be harvested all year round but is most abundant from June to August. Although it has an unattractive appearance, this seafood is an ingredient in many delicious dishes, associated with many generations of Ha Tien people.

To make a quality ca xiu dish, people must choose fresh ones of uniform size. Because they live in the mud, the preparation process requires a lot of effort and meticulousness.

After harvesting, the ca xiu is soaked in water for a few hours to release all the mud and then rinsed with water. Next, people put them in salt before processing the dish. This is also a way to preserve ca xiu for a long time, using it for a long time.

According to locals, the most delicious and nutritious part of the ca xiu is the long, crunchy leg part. They are considered a "miracle drug" that enhances male vitality, so they have become a favorite dish of "men" (Photo: Me Que).

To pickle eggplant, locals often use jars, layering eggplants and then sprinkling a layer of salt on top. Depending on the preferences and tastes of each household and person, eggplants can be pickled with salt water or coarse salt, adding sugar to make them sour faster.

Pickling eggplant requires experience and skill. If the salt is too salty, the eggplant will turn black, and if the salt is not enough, it will not be preserved for long.

Salted eggplant is usually used immediately after a few hours to make a dish, helping to preserve its freshness (Photo: Hoang Minh).

Another way to pickle ca xiu that is also popular with Ha Tien people is to salt it with Phu Quoc fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chili. When buying ca xiu, separate the beard and body, cut off the black tip on the beard to remove mud and then wash it many times.

Next, people blanch the beard and stem in boiling water until just cooked, then pour it out onto a tray to cool down, then dry it under the hot sun for about 2-3 hours. This method helps the ca xiu to be dry and drained, when salted, it will absorb the spices evenly and not spoil.

Salted eggplant in the morning can be used in the afternoon. When enjoying, diners just need to peel off the outer layer to get the meat inside.

Salted eggplant has crispy legs, soft and fatty meat, imbued with the salty and sweet taste of sugar, fish sauce, spicy taste of chili and fragrant garlic smell,... This dish is very delicious when served with white rice (Photo: Mai Thu Van, La Tu Phuong).

In Ha Tien, ca xiu is also processed into many other delicious dishes such as stir-fried ca xiu, ca xiu salad, ... of which the most famous is ca xiu fish sauce. Although this type of fish sauce is still strange to diners from all over, it has been attached to many generations of people here. The flavor of ca xiu fish sauce is said to be no less than other famous delicious fish sauces.

Ms. Nguyen Ly (in Ho Chi Minh City) shared that she had enjoyed ca xiu in Ha Tien several times and was impressed from the first time. After each trip here, she does not forget to buy a few jars of salted ca xiu to use gradually and give to acquaintances and friends.

“Cà xỉu is not a delicacy. At first glance, you may be wary, but when you get used to it, it is very delicious. The legs of the ca xỉu are very crispy and have a unique taste, while the meat is soft and fatty. This dish is quite similar to Hai Phong bean sprouts, but the preparation and flavor are completely different,” said Ms. Ly.

The strange taste of the fish sauce and fish salad attracts tourists when traveling to Kien Giang (Photo: Liu Phuonk, Le Hien Triet).

Coming to Kien Giang, diners can easily find and enjoy the famous ca xiu dishes of Ha Tien at crowded markets or at sidewalk eateries and restaurants with prices ranging from 30,000 - 70,000 VND/dish.

If buying as a gift, visitors can choose salted ca xiu in sealed glass jars, which can be stored in the refrigerator for several months at a price of about 120,000 VND to 140,000 VND/jar.

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