Nam Du specialties are among the most enticing dishes on the island. Nam Du is currently one of the islands in Kiên Giang province that attracts many tourists. Not only for its beautiful scenery and pristine waters, but also for its numerous incredibly enticing specialties. When it comes to Nam Du specialties, everyone knows they're famous for their seafood. Let's explore the renowned dishes of Nam Du together.

The Allure and Freshness of Nam Du Seafood
1. Grilled Bluebone Fish – Nam Du Specialty
Bluebone Fish caught fresh on the island boasts tender, succulent flesh. It's prepared in a variety of enticing dishes such as grilling, hot pot, and more. However, the most famous is grilled Bluebone Fish, as its sweet and firm flesh pairs perfectly with fresh greens, banana blossoms, and sweet and sour fish sauce. If you ever have the chance to visit, indulging in Nam Du seafood is a must.

Grilled Bluebone Fish
2. Grilled Sea Urchin with Scallion Oil – Nam Du Seafood
Sea Urchin is a delicious and nutritious delicacy in coastal areas of Vietnam. It's prepared in various dishes and is favored by many tourists. In Nam Du, you can dive to catch Sea Urchins using specialized tools. Before cooking, use scissors to remove all the spines and cut it in half, leaving the roe intact. After grilling, adding a bit of scallion oil creates an incredibly enticing aroma.

Grilled Sea Urchin with Scallion Oil – Incredibly Enticing
In addition, Sea Urchin is also cooked in other dishes such as Sea Urchin porridge. Unlike other seafood porridges, it has a unique sweet and savory flavor from the sea combined with rich spices. Enjoying a bowl of rustic Sea Urchin porridge in the coastal area of Nam Du will leave a lasting impression. Furthermore, you can also indulge in refreshing Sea Urchin with lime for those who enjoy raw dishes.

Sea Urchin Porridge – Nam Du Specialty
3. Grouper Sour Soup – Grouper Hotpot Specialty in Nam Du
Grouper farming is quite famous in the western sea of Kiên Giang. The flesh is white, tender, and naturally sweet. Grouper is often fried, cooked in sour soup, or made into hotpot. Tourists prefer Grouper hotpot for its unique and easy-to-eat flavor. The broth retains a refreshing sourness, slight sweetness, combined with the grouper, creating the distinctive taste of the dish. This hotpot is usually served with fresh noodles, various raw vegetables like banana blossoms, water spinach, along with a bowl of pure fish sauce.

Famous Grouper Hotpot in Nam Du
4. Steamed Egg Cuttlefish with Ginger – Top Delicacies of Nam Du
Egg cuttlefish can be found in any coastal area. But in Nam Du, you'll get to enjoy various delicious dishes: grilled egg cuttlefish with chili sauce, grilled egg cuttlefish with lemongrass, stuffed chili, butter-fried, etc. However, the most famous in Nam Du specialties is steamed egg cuttlefish with ginger. This dish is easy to make, yet incredibly delicious and fragrant. The perfectly steamed cuttlefish is tender, crunchy, fragrant with forest aroma, and has a gentle sweetness. You shouldn't miss out on this dish when visiting Nam Du.

Steamed Egg Cuttlefish with Ginger
5. Steamed Mud Crab – Nam Du Specialty
Mud crab in Nam Du is most commonly prepared by steaming to preserve its flavor. Mud crabs are much cheaper here compared to many other places. If you don't like buying mud crabs from seafood markets, you can ask local fishermen to dive and catch them for you, then prepare them on the spot.

Specialty Steamed Mud Crab on Nam Du Island
6. Rock Oysters – Top Nam Du Seafood
In Nam Du, there's mainly Rock Oysters and fewer Milk Oysters. Rock Oysters in Nam Du are larger than in other coastal areas, so whether grilled or served raw with lime, they offer an indescribably delicious taste to tourists. Especially, you'll experience the delightful aroma of oysters when grilled with scallion oil. This is also one of the famous specialties of Nam Du.

Grilled Rock Oysters with Scallion Oil
7. Elephant Trunk Snail – Nam Du Specialty
Elephant Trunk Snails live attached to underwater rocks, only inhabiting deep, clean waters. Each snail typically weighs around 1kg. The snail meat is not chewy, it's crispy, and has an incredibly delicious, distinctive sweetness. Elephant Trunk Snails are often prepared in various ways such as stir-frying, making porridge, or eaten raw. They are often chosen by many visitors as a delicious appetizer among the top specialties of Nam Du.

Experience the unique Elephant Trunk Snail dish on the island
8. Dried Seafood in Nam Du – Nam Du Specialty Souvenirs
Seafood like squid, fish, shrimp,... after being caught by locals, are processed and dried. The drying time varies depending on the type of seafood. In Nam Du, various types of fish are dried through a special process, ensuring food safety and hygiene. Not only do they taste delicious, but dried seafood is also easy to store. So when traveling, you can buy dried Nam Du specialties as gifts for family and friends.

Travelers can purchase them as gifts for their loved ones
9. Razor Clams
Among the seafood specialties of Nam Du, razor clams are the easiest to eat. Razor clams not only have delicious, non-chewy meat but also can be prepared in many dishes such as grilling, stir-frying,... Especially, grilling razor clams with scallion oil, there's nothing more delicious. This also ranks among the top specialties of Nam Du that many tourists love.

The delicious aroma of Razor Clams seafood attracts many tourists
10. Grilled Moon Snails – Top Nam Du Specialties
Moon Snails, also known as Jewel Snails. The meat of the snails is crispy, sweet like abalone. It can be cooked in various ways such as steaming, boiling, stir-frying,... but the most prominent and simplest is grilling. On the island, many people often grill them without marinating with spices and serve with salt, pepper, and lime; some places even grill them with butter for a rich flavor. If you have the opportunity to visit Nam Du, you can observe locals catching them.

Nam Du Specialty – Grilled Moon Snails
11. Grilled Goby with Fermented Shrimp Paste
Goby is a premium seafood with delicious, fatty meat and high nutritional value. It's a rare and precious fish, considered as a black gold food with many health benefits for humans. This Nam Du specialty dish leaves a lasting memory of its unique flavor. Grilled Goby has a crispy, fragrant outer shell, and incredibly sweet meat.

Delicious Goby dish in Nam Du Island
12. Fish Cake – Nam Du Specialty
Nam Du is an island surrounded by the sea. So it's not difficult to recognize fish, shrimp, crabs,... as prominent specialties here. However, for the convenience of travelers to buy gifts for their loved ones, locals have made various delicious fish cakes. Travelers can prepare fish cakes in many different ways such as frying, steaming, serving with hotpot,... and it's convenient to bring back as gifts as well.

Fish Cake - Nam Du Specialty
13. Dried Shrimp - Nam Du Specialty
Dried shrimp from Nam Du uses only freshly caught sea shrimp of the day. After going through the initial processing, and drying under the sun for 5 - 6 days, the shrimp becomes firm and has a rich, sweet flavor. Not only does it taste delicious, but dried shrimp is also easy to store. That's why travelers shouldn't overlook dried shrimp as part of their gift baskets.

Nam Du Specialty - Dried Shrimp
14. Grilled Razor Clams with Scallion Oil – Irresistible Seafood in Nam Du
When you come to Nam Du, don't forget about this Grilled Razor Clams with Scallion Oil dish. Razor clams are very affordable, but their meat is incredibly chewy and sweet. When grilled with scallion oil, they emit a fragrance similar to Oysters. The size of the Razor Clams is not too big, so you can easily separate them and enjoy.

Grilled Razor Clams with Scallion Oil
15. Grilled Shrimp with Lemongrass and Chili
Grilled Shrimp with Lemongrass and Chili is easy to make but its lingering flavor will be unforgettable. The shrimp is marinated with salt, lemongrass, and chili before grilling on charcoal. The sweetness of the shrimp combines with the spiciness of the chili and the aroma of lemongrass will leave travelers unable to forget.

Grilled Shrimp with Lemongrass and Chili
Outstanding Island Tours in Nam Du
Nam Du Island is a pristine island, not yet heavily exploited. Therefore, Nam Du attracts travelers who love exploration. Traveling to Nam Du not only brings a peaceful atmosphere, beautiful natural scenery, and crystal-clear sea. But the specialties here are relatively diverse and mostly seafood. If you have come to Nam Du, don't forget to enjoy the specialties of Nam Du.
Posted by: Bao Han
Keywords: Nam Du Specialties – Top 15 Most Attractive Specialties on the “Pearl Island” (2022)
