Wild crab hotpot, a Vietnamese specialty cherished by many for its calcium-rich crab, perfect for both the elderly and young ones. However, not everyone knows how to cook a delicious, rich-in-goodness wild crab hotpot.
The pot is adorned with the red hue of tomatoes, the green of scallions, and the golden hues of fried tofu and fish cakes. The fragrant aroma of wild crab is ideal for cozy family gatherings on weekends. The rich, flavorful taste and aroma of crab and fried shallots make everyone fall in love.
First, let's explore some tips with the PasGo Team on choosing delicious wild crabs with firm, meaty textures.
- Preparation time: about 30 minutes
- Preparation and cooking time: about 2 hours
Tips for selecting and buying delicious, meaty wild crabs.
- Color: Opt for wild crabs with a murky gray color, as they tend to be brighter and shinier than farmed crabs.
- Choose crabs that are lively, fast-moving, with all legs intact, and the crab shell should always point upwards when caught. The body of the wild crab feels plump and produces gas bubbles when pressed.
- If you prefer more crab roe, opt for female wild crabs; whereas if you want more meat, choose male wild crabs. Female crabs typically have larger aprons than males.
- Check if the crab meat is firm by flipping the wild crab upside down and pressing on the apron. If it doesn't sink in, the crab meat is firm. If it sinks, it's a soft-shell crab, less meaty and not as tasty to eat.
- The best time to buy wild crabs is at the beginning and end of the lunar month because in the middle of the month, wild crabs molt, so they will be too close and the meat won't be as good.
1. Ingredients:
Ingredients for cooking delicious homemade wild crab hotpot for 6 people include:
- Wild crab: 500g minced (separate roe and crab meat)
- Cartilage ribs: 500g
- Rice vinegar: 1 bowl for serving
- Beef: 300 grams
- Fish cake: 200 grams
- Rice vermicelli: 500 grams
- Tofu: 4 pieces
- Tomatoes: 5 pieces
- Scallion flowers: 10 sprigs
- Shallots: 10 bulbs
- Perilla leaves: 2 bunches
- Hotpot dipping vegetables: Lettuce: 3-4 heads; banana flowers: 300 grams; water spinach: 1 bunch; morning glory: 1 bunch
- Seasonings: Fish sauce, soup powder, seasoning powder, salt
2. How to make wild crab hotpot
Step 1: Preparing the wild crabs
- Take the separated crab roe and place it in a bowl, then add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce to marinate the crab roe.
- Strain the crab meat thoroughly with 2 liters of water, then keep the liquid, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and stir well.

The most important step in making crab paste hotpot is the preparation of wild crabs
Step 2: Preparing the ingredients for dipping in the crab hotpot
- Cut the cartilage ribs into bite-sized pieces, wash thoroughly, parboil. Then rinse the cartilage ribs again with cold water, then arrange them on a plate.
- Wash the tomatoes, cut half into pomegranate seeds, and the other half into wedges.
- Wash the scallions, finely chop.
- Peel and thinly slice the shallots.
- Wash and drain the vegetables, arrange them on a plate for dipping in the hotpot.

Step 3: Cooking the hotpot broth and accompanying ingredients
- Heat oil in a pan on the stove, add the chopped scallions and sauté until golden brown, transfer the scallions to a bowl. Then continue heating the oil in the pan, add the tomatoes and stir-fry, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, stir-fry the tomatoes evenly, then add the crab roe and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes before turning off the heat.
- Pour the strained crab broth into a pot, simmer over medium heat. When the broth boils, remove the crab meat to a separate bowl.
- Add the stir-fried tomatoes and crab roe to the pot, simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, then add the rice vinegar and stir well, season to taste and turn off the heat.
- Fry the tofu until golden brown, then arrange on a plate.
Step 4: Complete and enjoy the delicious wild crab hotpot
After all the ingredients are prepared, scoop the simmered crab broth into a small hotpot, then add the cartilage ribs, crab roe, fried scallions, tofu, banana flowers, perilla leaves, lettuce, beef, and fish cake. Wait for the hotpot to boil and then we can enjoy the result. It's also great to eat with rice vermicelli!

With the wild crab hotpot recipe that PasGo has just introduced, when eating, you can feel the rich and creamy taste of crab roe, the enticing European-style red crab hotpot.
To have a delicious corn-fed crab hotpot, you also need to spend quite a lot of time preparing and processing, so if you are someone who doesn't have much free time to learn how to make wild crab hotpot, you can refer to the 'top 7 delicious and affordable corn-fed crab hotpot restaurants in Hanoi'. These corn-fed crab hotpot restaurants all support table reservations and offer up to 50% discounts on PasGo, so you can both enjoy delicious food and save money.
3. PasGo Booking Method
(Table reservation with accompanying discounts, no need to purchase vouchers)
Method 1: Reserve via PasGo Hotline 19006005, directly assisted by hotline operators (1,000 VND/minute)
Method 2: Reserve via pasgo.vn Website (free)
Method 3: Reserve via PasGo app (Android & iOS - free)
Ngoc Anh - Khanh An - PasGo Team
Reservation & Consultation Hotline: 19006005
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