I'm looking forward to tasting soft-shell crab again.

The Thuong River section flowing through Yen Dung district.

We arrived in Yen Dung district , Bac Giang province, by chance. By chance, I mean the trip wasn't planned in advance; perhaps the only thing that came to mind was a casual remark from our colleague who was guiding us.

I remember that dinner when the kitchen brought out a bowl of crab soup. It would have been just like any other bowl of crab soup if Tuan, the driver, hadn't quickly pointed to the steaming bowl and said, "Everyone, have a few spoonfuls of this crab soup first." It sounded a bit strange, so without saying a word, we all scooped a few spoonfuls into our bowls and took a sip. Oh my, it was delicious!

Tuan smiled mischievously: "Do you think this crab soup is delicious and unique, different from other freshwater crab soups?"

Of course, we all replied that it was delicious and also quite different from ordinary crab soup. Tuan chuckled and said, "This is crab soup cooked with vegetables. It would be just like the regular crab soup with vegetables you're used to eating. But the crab is different."

We quickly asked, "What's different about this crab?" Tuan smiled mysteriously and said, "You'll understand better when we get back to Yen Dung tomorrow morning."

It was truly "mysterious." What's so special about crab soup with vegetables that it's causing such curiosity? And as promised, we went to Yen Dung district in Bac Giang province to gather material for our articles. After spending the whole morning visiting several locations in the district to collect information, I honestly felt very hungry by almost noon. I told myself to wait until lunchtime to find out what soft-shell crab was like.

Finally, the wait was worth it. Lunch was served, but we didn't immediately pick up our chopsticks because we heard the kitchen staff say, "Please wait a few minutes. The steamed crab will be served shortly."

We sat very "formally" around the round dining table, the kind that seats ten people, including both host and guests. It wasn't long, about 10 minutes, when the kitchen brought out a huge plate. I stared at the plate that the waitress had neatly placed in the center of the table. It turned out to be a plate of steamed crab. These crabs were neither freshwater nor saltwater crabs. The plate contained crabs smaller than saltwater crabs but three or four times larger than freshwater crabs. The plump crabs, steamed to perfection, emitted a very enticing aroma. Then my colleague leisurely explained: "These crabs are called 'skin crabs' by the people of Yen Dung in particular, and Bac Giang in general." I quickly asked: "Why the name 'skin crab'?" My colleague, still speaking calmly, replied: "Do you see the small tufts of hair on the crab's claws?"

We almost all stood up to take a closer look. Indeed, there were hairs on the crab's claw. The hairs were brown from being cooked, but they were impossible to hide. I honestly said, "That's strange. Crabs live in water. Their shells are hard, yet they have hairs – that's really odd."

Then my colleague at the Bac Giang newspaper said: "People in Bac Giang call this type of crab 'skin crab,' but in some other places they call it 'hairy crab.' People in Bac Giang are discreet, so they don't call it 'hairy crab' but 'skin crab' because that's polite and also indicates that if it has skin, it also has hair."

We all exclaimed, "So, this type of crab is found elsewhere too?" My colleague nodded, "That's true, this type of crab is found in a few other places like Quang Ninh or in China, but only in Yen Dung district are the crabs bigger and, of course, tastier and more fragrant. Now, I invite each of you to taste Yen Dung soft-shell crab. Please share your thoughts after eating."

A "discussion" about soft-shell crabs took place right around the dining table. Although I was a guest, I wasn't shy at all; I stood up and gestured for everyone to leave the plates of crabs as they were so I could take pictures. And not taking pictures would have been a great pity.

On the plate, the steamed soft-shell crabs had a deep yellow color with a reddish tint, a truly appealing sight. My colleague from the Bac Giang newspaper seemed to understand our initial impression, so he stopped what he was doing and gave each of us a crab as promised. Pointing to the plate of soft-shell crabs, he said, "Soft-shell crabs are three or four times bigger than freshwater crabs. The big ones weigh at least 200g, while the smaller ones are around 70g. These are freshwater crabs and are only found in Yen Dung district."

I quickly glanced at the plate of soft-shell crabs, just to get an overview and remember. In terms of shape, soft-shell crabs are unusually large—not as big as sea crabs, of course—but they have a plump appearance because their shells are thick and puffy, giving them a "round" look, unlike the thin shells of freshwater or sea crabs. My colleague added, "That's the correct shape for a soft-shell crab. Pay attention to the claws."

Hearing that, I paid attention and realized that the soft-shell crab had large claws. I thought, "Anyone inexperienced in catching crabs could easily get pinched by those claws and cry." Then I looked closer and saw that the claws of the soft-shell crab had dark brown spots (after being steamed), which were hairs. Wow, it's strange that crabs living underwater have hairs!

My colleague said, "That characteristic is unique to the leather crab. No one can take an unusually large crab and call it a leather crab if its claws don't have those finger-sized hairy spots. Perhaps it's because of this unusual feature that people call it a leather crab." I thought to myself, "You can't have hair if you have skin, and vice versa?"

But then I still wondered: "Why is this type of soft-shelled crab found only in Yen Dung district?" Mr. Tran Duc Hoan, an official from the Yen Dung District Cultural Center, answered that Yen Dung district was once considered the "water heartland" of Bac Giang province. The Thuong River flows through the district, dividing it into northern and southern parts. To the southwest is the Cau River, which also forms the boundary between Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces. To the northeast is the Luc Nam River, which merges with the Thuong River flowing eastward, separating it from Hai Duong province. At the end of the Thuong River, after receiving water from the Luc Nam and Cau rivers, is the historical Luc Dau River. A little further away is the Thai Binh River.

It is in this "waterlogged" area that the soft-shell crab, like the mudworm, is found in Tu Ky and Thanh Ha districts of Hai Duong province. Soft-shell crabs are not available every day or in every season. Coinciding with the mudworm season, soft-shell crabs are usually found around "the twentieth of September and the fifth of October," when the cool autumn breeze blows gently across the river.

During that time, the mudskippers "flood" Tu Ky - Thanh Ha, while the soft-shelled crabs flock to Yen Dung. Ms. Minh Hien, a resident of Yen Dung, added: "Soft-shelled crabs usually live in the crevices of rocks along the riverbanks. The northern bank of the Cau River, that is, the bank on the Yen Dung district side, is where soft-shelled crabs are most abundant. There are also some on the Thuong River side in Yen Dung, but fewer."

During the season for mud crabs, people in the villages along the Cau River, such as Dong Viet, Dong Phuc, and Thang Cuong, call each other to go crabbing. However, catching mud crabs is not easy because they are a type of crab that usually lives at the bottom of the river. To catch them, you have to use nets that the locals call "eight-trigram nets." "During the high water season, the crabs surface and move around a lot, so it's easier to catch them, but during the low water season, the mud crabs stay still in one place and move less, making them harder to catch," Ms. Hien said.

Mr. Tran Duc Hoan stood up: "Please enjoy the hot soft-shell crab. It tastes best when eaten hot." We eagerly raised our plates, each receiving a crab. It's true that soft-shell crabs are a type of freshwater crab, but they are only found in the Cau and Thuong rivers, so they are rich, fatty, and have a unique aroma. It feels like it's all roe and crab meat. That's when I understood the meaning of the saying "as sure as crab roe."

It is known that the best way to enjoy soft-shell crab is by steaming it. The crabs are thoroughly cleaned of any mud clinging to their shells before being placed in a steamer. Of course, steaming crab requires ginger and lemongrass. These two spices not only reduce the fishy smell but also enhance the crab's unique aroma.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/lai-mong-duoc-nem-cua-da-10280857.html