The secret to catching the specialty sought after by tourists at Cam Mountain

Cam Mountain attracts tourists not only by its amazing landscape but also by its famous stone crab. Few people know that to hunt this specialty, the locals have to use their own secrets, requiring patience and skillful techniques.

Cam Mountain (also known as Thien Cam Son) is located in Nui Cam commune, An Giang province, about 710m above sea level. This is the highest peak in the That Son range - a unique mountainous area not only of An Giang but also of the entire Mekong Delta. Photo: Phuong Vu

Coming to Cam Mountain, visitors not only enjoy the fresh air and majestic scenery but also have the opportunity to enjoy specialties with the flavor of the mountains and forests such as: pancakes, fresh bamboo shoots, steamed chicken with gourd, grilled chicken, fish sauce hotpot or grilled snakehead fish. Among them, the dish that many people "hunt" for the most is mountain stone crab - a strange specialty, not cheap but always in a state of scarcity. Photo: TQ

Mountain rock crabs are purple in color, very agile and famous for being… “aggressive”. They often live in rock holes and crevices along streams, making hunting very difficult. Photo: TQ

Mr. Tran Van Sy (46 years old, resident of Tinh Bien ward) said that unlike field crabs, mountain crabs are very difficult to catch by hand, hunters must use specialized fishing rods. The fishing rod is made from bamboo or bamboo about 1m long, with a bunch of elastic bands tied at the end to lure crabs. Photo: TQ

“The difficulty is how to put the elastic string right at the entrance of the cave, so the crab thinks it is prey and will clamp it. The fisherman must concentrate highly. Just pull lightly to make the crab think the prey is running away, it will clamp more strongly. At that time, the fisherman can jerk his hand quickly to pull the crab out of the cave,” Mr. Sy revealed. Photo: TQ

According to locals, mountain crabs have a natural sweetness thanks to eating forest leaves and insects. The rainy season is the time when crabs grow strongly, with many old crabs appearing with dark purple shells and characteristic, beautiful hair spots.

In the past, mountain crabs were an important source of income for people living around the mountains. Every day, people caught 3-5kg and could earn several million VND. However, in recent years, the number of crabs has decreased sharply, leading to high prices.

Mountain crabs are currently priced at around 200,000 - 300,000 VND/kg, depending on size. However, crabs are not always available to buy. Buyers often have to order in advance so that people can go up the mountain to hunt for enough quantity.

Mountain crabs are processed into many attractive dishes such as boiled, fried with tamarind, fried with salt, etc. But no matter how they are processed, the crab meat still retains its natural flavor, making diners who come to Cam Mountain once remember it forever. Photo: TQ

Famous fried banana shop in Can Tho makes customers excited with its special 'cashier'Famous after livestream sessions attracting thousands of viewers, fried banana shop of Mr. Le Quoc Truong in Can Tho is even more excited with its special "cashier" - the dog Bear who knows how to receive money and bring it to the owner.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyet-chieu-cau-loai-dac-san-duoc-du-khach-san-don-o-nui-cam-2466752.html