Cô Tô's Sea Anemone – The Marvel of 'White Gold'

Every lunar January marks the season of Cô Tô's sea anemone, a time when local fishermen can reap fortunes. Hence, the marine creature beneath the deep sea is aptly dubbed the 'white gold' of Cô Tô islanders.

Cô Tô's Sea Anemone – The Marvel of 'White Gold'

In the past, sea anemones were a constant worry for fishermen as they often tore fishing nets. Since 2010, with the popularity of sea anemone salad, many tourists have come to know and love this dish. Although this jellyfish variant may not boast high nutritional value, it contains irreplaceable vitamins, nicotinic acid, and is rich in minerals such as Na, Ca, K, Mg.

Long-time fishermen who have been harvesting Cô Tô's sea anemones reveal that catching sea anemones is one of the easiest tasks among all offshore fishing activities. Whenever the weather shifts from cold to warm, sea anemones abound.

Since sea anemones float near the water surface and move slowly, heading offshore only requires a small boat, a few dip nets, and additional spotlights. With a 36-horsepower boat, a family of four can harvest around 400 sea anemones each day.

From January to April each year, the sea is adorned with floating jellyfish in various hues – white, green, and red. Fishermen in Cô Tô eagerly scoop them up, reaping abundant harvests for those with the stamina. Armed with nets, they catch small jellyfish whole, while for larger ones, they deftly remove the bell, retaining only the leg portions. The harvesting continues from night till morning, bringing the jellyfish ashore for sale.

Jellyfish harvesting is entirely reliant on the flow of water and sea breeze. Therefore, only during favorable weather and water conditions can Cô Tô's sea anemones be easily exploited, achieving high yields.

Harvesting jellyfish may seem like a gentle trade, yet it is undeniably challenging. Jellyfish absorb seawater, making them heavy, averaging 15-20kg, and sometimes reaching 50-60kg per specimen. Furthermore, the stinging tentacles cause swelling and redness. Despite the physical toll, the effort is justified, given the market price ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 Vietnamese dong per jellyfish. A single boat can harvest over 1,000 jellyfish each night, fetching tens of millions of dong. Calculating per season, a boat can generate an income of 300-500 million dong, surpassing traditional fishing methods.

However, Cô Tô's sea anemones truly become 'white gold' in the hands of processing workshops. Across Cô Tô island and the Thanh Lân island commune, processing workshops line the landscape, operating day and night, producing a symphony of machinery sounds.

According to Cô Tô fishermen, after jellyfish are caught, they undergo classification and are placed in centrifuge tanks to remove slime and eliminate impurities. Among them, the leg portion of the jellyfish holds high nutritional value, making it preferable for creating delicious dishes.

After 10-12 hours of centrifugation, the jellyfish are transferred to saltwater tanks with a gradually increasing salt concentration of 20%-25%. They are soaked for several days to a month, allowing the jellyfish to become firm, white, and dry – the final perfected product.

The finished jellyfish products are packaged in boxes for both domestic sale and export, primarily to China. Currently, jellyfish is priced at 150,000-200,000 VND/box (domestic sales), 300,000-500,000 VND/box (export to China), with the red jellyfish variety reaching prices in the millions.

Cô Tô's sea anemones can be crafted into various mouth-watering dishes, with the most beloved being jellyfish salad. This dish uses prepared jellyfish, blanched in boiling water, and mixed with a variety of vegetables, meat, and seasonings.

Depending on the region, jellyfish salad may have slight variations, but essential ingredients like seaweed, green papaya, carrots, water lilies, and banana flowers are indispensable. Vegetables are cleaned, thinly sliced, mixed with shredded chicken, finely chopped shrimp, sliced sausage; various nuts, sesame seeds, roasted cashews, crushed; and a blend of spices.

Jellyfish salad is crisp, refreshing, and boasts a unique flavor. Many tourists visiting Cô Tô find the dish so enticing that they purchase pre-packaged jellyfish to enjoy later. Thus, Cô Tô's jellyfish becomes the signature specialty of the coastal region!

As reported by Mytour

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour