Buzz
These specialty treats to bring home after your journey to Cô Tô Island encapsulate not just flavors but also the warmth of the locals' affection for those you hold dear.
Consider 5 seafood delicacies worth bringing back as souvenirs from your trip to Cô Tô Island.
Cô Tô Cuttlefish
Renowned for its distinct flavor, Cô Tô's dried and sun-dried cuttlefish have long been celebrated thanks to the fresh, quality ingredients sourced from the naturally abundant sea and the skilled, artisanal processing techniques employed by the locals. While exploring Cô Tô Island, don't forget to acquire this specialty as a gift.
Cô Tô Sea Cucumbers
Sea Cucumbers, also known as Elephant Trunks, typically inhabit salty and clean waters, representing a delicacy of Cô Tô Island. This marine creature can be prepared into various delicious dishes such as grilling, steaming, making porridge, or pan-frying with onions and fat. For coastal residents, freshly caught sea cucumbers grilled and dipped in chili sauce are the best, as they retain their sweet taste and distinctive aroma, unmatched by any other seasoning or ingredient.
Cô Tô Abalones
Abalones are a rare type of seafood, often found in the meals of ancient royalty. Today, many people enjoy this dish not only for its delicious taste but also for its nutritional benefits. Abalones are a popular specialty on Cô Tô Island.
Resembling a male's reproductive organ or a clam, the abalone has only one shell piece and is found in certain seas such as Cô Tô (Quảng Ninh), Bạch Long Vĩ (Hải Phòng), and Khánh Ninh (Khánh Hòa).
Abalones are cooked into many nutritious dishes such as soup, stew, stir-fry, porridge, or combined with other ingredients such as abalone and straw mushroom stew, abalone with oyster sauce and Chinese cabbage, or abalone and pigeon porridge.
Cô Tô Geoducks
The peculiarly named 'geoduck' is actually a familiar delicacy of the people of Cô Tô Island. Geoducks closely resemble crabs, with the main difference being their disproportionately large claws compared to their slender bodies. While not as sweet as crabs, geoduck meat is considered superior to conch.
Cô Tô Jellyfish
Every year, from the lunar months of January to March, the seas around Cô Tô Island enter the jellyfish harvesting season, yielding 1,400 - 2,100 tons annually. Cô Tô jellyfish can be prepared into various dishes, with the most famous being jellyfish salad. Tourists visiting Cô Tô Island must not miss this specialty dish.
From Mytour
***
Reference: Mytour Travel Handbook
TravelTips.comJuly 4, 2022
