Unique and rare 'king oyster' of Con Co Island.

Con Co Island is a pristine island in Quang Tri province, located only about 30 km from the mainland. In music , the island was once famous for the line "Con Co Island has racing fish and stone crabs," and now "king oysters" have emerged as a unique and exotic seafood brand. Many say that if you go to Con Co Island and haven't eaten "king oysters," then you haven't really been to Con Co Island.

Quang Tri Tourism Ambassador - Lai Thi Yen Nhi, along with the king oyster dish from Con Co Island.

"King oysters" also have many other names, such as "ancient oysters," "ghost oysters," etc. Perhaps these catchy names largely stem from their enormous size and rough, gnarled appearance, as if they belong to something ancient. Each oyster weighs many times more than a normal oyster, so the amount of meat when shucked is also much greater, and it's very firm, fragrant, and sweet.

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION SIMULTANEOUSLY

We have considered both exploiting, maintaining, and developing this precious seafood so that in the future, when tourism develops further, visitors will still have the opportunity to eat the "king oyster" of Con Co Island.

Mr. Truong Khac Truong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Co Island District, Quang Tri Province

The oysters of Con Co Island are found in rock crevices 20-30 meters deep, not on rocky outcrops near the water's edge. They are believed to live for several decades to reach their enormous size before becoming a delicacy. According to fisherman Le Van Tuan, a diver specializing in harvesting Con Co oysters, he manages to collect about 100 oysters a day. "There are about 3 oyster harvesting boats on the island, and together they can harvest about 400 oysters a day at full capacity," Tuan said.

Grilled king oysters from Con Co Island with scallion oil.

For a long time, visitors to Con Co Island have only been able to enjoy a few simple dishes made from the "king" oyster, the most common and easiest to prepare being oyster salad, oyster porridge, and grilled oysters with scallions and butter. However, with creative chefs, they can elevate Con Co's "king oyster" from a simple dish into a culinary art, expanding the preparation to many attractive dishes such as oyster salad, grilled oysters with cheese sauce, Thai-style oysters, and steamed oysters…

Experiments are being conducted to produce artificial "king oyster" seeds.

Tourists enjoy king oysters when visiting Con Co Island.

The Con Co Island Marine Protected Area Management Board is implementing a research project on the conservation, management, and sustainable exploitation of the giant serrated oyster, also known as the "king oyster" of Con Co. The project focuses on studying the biological and ecological characteristics, distribution, and current status of the resource, the potential for sustainable exploitation, and mapping of conservation and exploitation zones for the "king oyster" in the Con Co Island marine area. Simultaneously, it will experiment with artificial breeding to maintain and replenish the seed stock in the Con Co Island Marine Protected Area; and research and test a model for cultivating "king oysters" on natural beaches around the island to support tourism development on Con Co Island. The project will also propose solutions such as managing, protecting, and sustainably exploiting the "king oyster" resource based on co-management between the Marine Protected Area and local people; and suggest appropriate harvesting seasons, sizes, numbers of individuals, and harvesting methods.

Many diners have voted Con Co Island's "king oysters" grilled with scallion oil or cheese as a unique, attractive, and truly irresistible dish. Imagine a hand-sized oyster placed on a charcoal grill after being coated with cheese, sauce, or scallion oil. The oyster meat only accounts for about 0.1 kg of the total weight of 1.2-1.5 kg, but that's enough to leave a lasting impression on those who taste it.

At the National Culinary Culture Festival held on April 30th - May 1st in Cua Viet Town (Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province), Con Co oysters had a new "look" with the dish called "hau ne" (steamed oysters). To make this dish, chefs extract the oyster meat and put it in a hot pan with eggs, cheese, some types of beans, and herbs.

Professional chefs showcase the king oyster dish from Con Co Island at the National Culinary Culture Festival on April 30th - May 1st, 2023, in Cua Viet Town (Quang Tri Province).

Mr. Truong Khac Truong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Co Island District, said that besides its pristine beauty and clean environment, the island's cuisine is a great attraction for tourists, especially with unique and distinctive seafood like the "king oyster" of Con Co. "Quang Tri Province and Con Co Island have built a brand for the 'king oyster' of Con Co, but development must also go hand in hand with conservation. We have considered both exploiting and maintaining and developing this precious seafood so that in the future, when tourism develops further, tourists will still have the opportunity to eat the 'king oyster' of Con Co," Mr. Truong said.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-hau-vua-con-co-185230704095152928.htm