The squid season in March.

Fresh squid from Tam Tien fish market. Photo: FP Nui Thanh

My older sister, who specializes in selling squid brought from the seafood market near Tam Tien (Nui Thanh), kept calling out to her regular customers: "If you don't eat squid this season, what else would you eat?"

Then, those still-swimming baby squids were continuously being sent out from these seafood vendors.

With such fresh squid, all you need is a pot of water seasoned with salt, a few slices of tomato, and some pineapple. The water boils until clear, and as soon as you add a few plump, red, glistening squid, they gradually change color. A special aroma rises, stimulating the taste buds.

A bowl of rich fish sauce with a few slices of chili peppers – a seemingly simple lunch, but one that keeps you full for a long time.

In the first month of the lunar calendar, entering the beginning of the second month (which is also the third month of the Gregorian calendar), fishermen in Quang Nam province have a bountiful harvest of squid and cuttlefish. Many times, housewives stopping by the local market can buy a whole kilogram of squid with eggs.

The experience of buying fresh squid, passed down from friends in coastal areas, is that besides the squid still glistening at the early morning market, if you happen to miss the midday market, feel the squid's body with your hand.

Fresh squid is characterized by its firm and elastic flesh; when you press on the body, the squid will quickly return to its original shape without leaving an indentation.

When squid is fresh, its eyes are clear and transparent. When squid is not fresh, the eyes become cloudy, sometimes with fluid oozing out.

Fresh squid is on display at Tam Ky market. Photo: XH

Fresh squid will have its head and tentacles firmly attached. Stale squid will have soft, mushy parts that easily separate.

If you choose fresh squid, any dish you cook will taste delicious. Because seafood, by its very nature, doesn't require fancy seasonings.

Unlike mountain specialties—often consisting of game meats—which require additional help from herbs and spices like wild pepper and sieves to mask the animal's smell, seafood, on the other hand, requires simpler, less elaborate cooking methods than the freshest seafood.

Like other seafood, squid is a food rich in protein and essential minerals that are very good for health. Nutritional information shows that squid has antibacterial properties, capable of neutralizing harmful bacteria and viruses.

Furthermore, the vitamins and nutrients in squid are very helpful in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, reducing migraines, and preventing anemia...

Of course, all the health benefits of squid, or any seafood for that matter, are good if you eat it in moderation and it's fresh.

Health experts also advise that the simpler the food is prepared, the more nutrients are retained. Therefore, steamed squid or squid cooked in a simple tomato and pineapple soup is the ultimate choice.

Steamed squid with rice, served with a few sprigs of vegetables, and of course, a bowl of ginger fish sauce – because according to traditional Chinese medicine, squid is a food with a cooling (yin) nature, while ginger has a yang nature. Balancing yin and yang is crucial for maintaining the body's natural harmony.

If you don't have time to prepare a full basket of fresh vegetables, a few sprigs of water spinach to accompany the squid will still make for a decent seafood meal...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/mua-muc-thang-ba-3150251.html