The group consists of 5 members of the Seafood Processing and Preservation class, including: Luu Phung Ngoc Tuyet, Thach Truc Nhu (just graduated) and 3 first-year students (Huynh Hoang Duy, Do Minh Diep, Do Thi My Hang), with the guidance of Ms. Huynh Thi Thuy Tien - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Agriculture - Aquaculture, Soc Trang Vocational College. Talking about the idea to make this "unique" dish, the students shared that in recent years, crocodile farming on a small and medium scale has been developing quite strongly in some provinces in the Mekong Delta. In Soc Trang province, crocodile farming is being raised in large quantities in Thanh Tri district, Nga Nam town, ... with the main purpose of taking the skin for export, so the crocodile meat is only a by-product and has low economic value. Therefore, diversifying crocodile meat products is necessary to increase the economic value of crocodile meat.
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| The dried crocodile with lemon leaves dish of a group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College won first prize at the 2025 student startup idea competition organized by the Ministry of Education and Training . |
Moreover , crocodile meat is a special food, considered a "super food" by nutritionists. Crocodile meat contains high protein content (almost equivalent to beef), very little saturated fat, and is especially rich in essential amino acids, zinc, iron, and some active ingredients that are beneficial to health. In addition, in traditional medicine, crocodile meat is also considered a supportive remedy for treating lung-related diseases such as asthma, prolonged cough, bronchitis, etc.
The group started the project around November 2024, and it has been more than 6 months now. In the first phase, the group focused on researching documents, learning about the characteristics of crocodile meat, and interviewing consumers about their awareness and acceptance of crocodile products. Then, the group tested the processing process: choosing the right part of the meat (mainly the loin - the meat fibers are even and beautiful, suitable for drying ); finding a marinade formula that suits the general taste; choosing the right drying method (heat drying, cold drying, combination); surveying the senses (color, smell, taste, toughness, acceptance level). After about 3 months of testing and fine-tuning, the group released the first complete product version - meeting the requirements for safety, senses and the ability to preserve for more than 2 months.
However, raw crocodile meat is very fishy and this is also the biggest difficulty the group has to overcome. The group has to remove the fishy smell with spices such as ginger, lemongrass, then boil and dry, before processing shredded crocodile meat with lemongrass, chili, and lemon leaves. The secret is how to remove the fishy smell from the meat - that is also the most important thing when making this dried product. At all stages, each step requires full concentration, careful work, and no sloppiness. Therefore, the current product has lost the fishy smell of crocodile meat - the group of students said about the general process. The product received many compliments on its flavor, uniqueness, and "strange but familiar" feeling. Many people were surprised to know that this was crocodile meat because the flavor is not much different from chicken or rabbit meat but has a characteristic firmness. The price for this dish is also very affordable - each 100 gram box of dried crocodile with lemon leaves costs 50,000 VND.
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| Unique dried crocodile with lemon leaves dish. |
Ms. Huynh Thi Thuy Tien - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Agriculture and Aquaculture, said: “We are very happy that the product is highly appreciated. Even more joyful is that the project “dried crocodile with lemon leaves” of a group of students from Soc Trang Vocational College has surpassed hundreds of projects to win first prize at the student competition with startup ideas in 2025 organized by the Ministry of Education and Training”.
However, the current difficulty is that many people are still afraid to eat crocodile meat, so communication and market impact are big challenges. The initial packaging and labeling are also simple, not professional enough.
Therefore, the implementation team, through the instructor, will continue to adjust the marinade formula according to the taste of each region (for example, the North prefers a strong flavor, the South prefers a mild sweetness). At the same time, develop new versions such as spicy dried crocodile with chili flavor, crispy dried crocodile snacks. Pay attention to designing more professional packaging, with English sub-labels to target tourists and small export markets.
For promotion and communication, there will be separate TikTok and Instagram channels to share the product making process, explain the benefits of crocodile meat, and receive feedback from users. Make food review videos from real people experiencing it for the first time. Organize free tasting sessions, participate in more food fairs, school and local "startup showcases". Aim for the potential to expand the domestic and international market, especially the high-end gift food segment, healthy food and tourists. The group is also considering linking up with some clean food agents for trial distribution, and at the same time register barcodes and food hygiene and safety certificates to commercialize products on platforms such as Shopee Food, Tiki, or domestic e-commerce platforms.
With a series of advantages of a completely new product such as uniqueness, convenient food, high nutritional value, guaranteed quality at low price, we believe that dried crocodile with lemon leaves can develop into a local OCOP product and will be welcomed and enjoyed by many people.
SPRING FRAGRANCE
Source: https://baosoctrang.org.vn/thuong-mai-dich-vu/202506/doc-dao-mon-kho-ca-sau-la-chanh-b7d06fd/
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