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Venturing to Nam Du, the archipelago off the southwestern coast of the motherland, you'll be awestruck by the stunning vistas it offers. But that's not all – the seafood in Nam Du is not only abundant but also remarkably affordable. Nam Du promises you fascinating experiences, from its untamed wilderness to its delectable seafood cuisine imbued with the unique flavors of this island region, leaving you longing for more long after you depart.
Savoring Authentic Seafood Delights in Nam Du (Photo by ST)
Seafood Delights on Nam Du Island
1. Squid
A trip to Nam Du without indulging in squid would be a missed opportunity. Here, squid is exceptionally fresh and comes in various types: cuttlefish, egg squid, leaf squid... The squid still wriggles with vibrant hues when served whole, or in a savory broth, it's a culinary delight, not bitter at all. Every day, fishermen haul in dozens of tons of squid to the mainland, supplying markets far and wide. However, enjoying it on the island enhances the flavors tenfold.
Squid in Nam Du is incredibly fresh and diverse (Photo by ST)
Squid can be prepared into a multitude of delicious dishes such as chili-fried, battered and fried, butter-fried, grilled with chili sauce, or in a satay... Particularly, sun-dried squid in Nam Du is of top quality. You can witness locals processing it and buy it fresh, so you need not worry about purchasing inferior or water-soaked dried squid like in other regions.
Squid can be transformed into many delicious dishes (Photo by ST)
2. Sea Cucumber
Also known as the sea slug, often dismissed as an inedible seafood due to its unsightly appearance and rough texture, few realize that this is a distinctive delicacy of the Nam Du archipelago. Sea cucumbers are prepared in various ways, but the most common is in a porridge. Nam Du sea cucumber porridge has a flavor unlike any other seafood porridge, with a sweet and refreshing taste akin to blood cockles yet tender like shrimp or crab meat, with a subtle, lingering oceanic aroma melding with rich spices.
A distinctive delicacy of the Nam Du archipelago (Photo by ST)
Furthermore, sea cucumbers are also used to make fish sauce, or the simplest and most popular way in Nam Du is to split fresh sea cucumbers in half, grill them over charcoal until firm, then add some fragrant fried shallots and eat with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sea cucumbers are at their best when grilled to perfection, emitting a rich aroma of fried shallots, with a sweet, savory taste of the sea cucumber meat.
The most delicious sea cucumbers are when grilled to perfection (Photo by ST)
3. Bluebone Fish
Bluebone fish is a specialty of the Nam Du archipelago. It's called bluebone because when cooked, the fish bones turn a jade green. The fish has a long, round body with a pointed snout like a needlefish. It's prepared in various dishes such as lime-marinated slices or cooked with banana blossom... so diners can freely choose according to their preferences.
Bluebone fish is a specialty of the Nam Du archipelago (Photo by ST)
However, the most popular and famous method is grilling. People select fresh fish straight from the sea, clean off the slime, then wrap them tightly in banana leaves and tie securely. After that, they grill the fish over firewood until the banana leaves wither and dry, indicating the fish is cooked. When eating, unwrap the banana leaves to reveal the crackling fish meat, emitting a tantalizing aroma that easily captivates even the most discerning mainland food enthusiasts from North to South. The sweet and firm bluebone fish meat, paired with wild vegetables like fern leaves or rattan shoots, is truly enticing.
Fish is prepared into various dishes (Photo by ST)
4. Stone Oysters
Traditionally known as a luxurious delicacy, but stone oysters in Nam Du will surprise you with their affordability and the fishermen's harvesting methods. To enjoy stone oysters, you must wait for low tide, when the sea recedes, exposing the rocky seabed. The fishermen gather the oysters, pile them on stones, and ignite a fire. As the fire burns, the oyster shells burst open, revealing their creamy white flesh, ready to be plucked out and dipped in salt and pepper lime sauce.
Stone oysters in Nam Du will surprise you with their affordability (Photo by ST)
Another superb type of oyster requires venturing out to the underwater rocky reefs, diving deep to search and pry open large milk oysters resembling coconuts. These oysters have to be pried open with a sharp knife. Their large, coconut-sized flesh is as white as grated coconut, dripping with milky droplets. To enjoy, scoop out the oyster flesh, sprinkle with salt and pepper, squeeze some lime juice, and savor the creamy oyster milk flowing from the corners of your mouth, absolutely delightful. If you prefer not to eat them raw, you can also cook stone oysters with garlic or grill them with fried shallots, both equally delicious, accompanied by a bowl of salt and pepper lime sauce.
Superbly delicious grilled stone oysters (Photo by ST)
5. Trumpet Shell Snail
Trumpet shell snails live attached to underwater rocky reefs, making them challenging to catch. Despite their size, the tastiest snails, according to coastal residents, weigh around 1 kg. At this size, the snail meat is not tough, but rather crispy, with a distinctive sweet flavor that's mouthwatering.
Photo of Trumpet Shell Snails living attached to underwater rocky reefs (Photo by ST)
After being caught, trumpet shell snails are cleaned and often prepared into delicious dishes such as stir-fries, porridge, or eaten raw... Among the various ways of preparing trumpet shell snails, stir-frying with butter is a simple yet popular method, favored for its rich, spicy taste that's incredibly palatable.
The most delicious snails weigh around 1 kg (Photo by ST)
6. Dried Fish
In Nam Du, dried fish is prepared from fresh fish, marinated with salt, garlic, chili or pepper, sugar, and various spices depending on the type of fish, then sun-dried. Dried fish can be stored for a year without spoiling. The sun-drying method is quite simple yet effective, often employed by fishermen to preserve their catches if not consumed immediately. When eating, it can be grilled, fried, or mixed into mango salads...
Photo of Dried Fish in Nam Du (Photo by ST)
Dried fish from Nam Du has the sweet taste of fresh fish, slightly chewy, with the fragrant aroma of garlic and chili spices, spicy yet flavorful, perfect for snacking. Nam Du is renowned for various types of dried fish such as sun-dried bluebone fish marinated with chili salt, compressed dried fish, spice-marinated anchovies, spicy garlic chili dried fish, golden threadfin bream dried fish with spices, chili garlic marinated spadefish dried fish... The price of dried fish here ranges from 70,000 to 180,000 VND/kg, depending on the type of fish and the season.
Can be stored for a year without spoiling (Photo by ST)
7. Razor Clam
A familiar seafood in Nam Du or Phu Quoc with delicious, tender meat, suitable for preparing various delicious and nutritious dishes. The razor clam is aptly named for its shell resembling a folding fan, which looks very beautiful.
A familiar seafood in Nam Du (Photo by ST)
The best way to prepare this dish is by grilling with fried shallots or grilling with cheese. The clam meat is firm and sweet, combined with the richness of fried shallots, the fragrant aroma, and crunchiness of peanuts, tantalizing the taste buds of diners. This dish is usually served with sweet and sour fish sauce or salt and pepper lime sauce.
Razor clams have delicious, tender meat (Photo by ST)
8. Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimp from Nam Du are made from sea shrimps caught during the day, not from pond-raised shrimps like in other regions. Therefore, the dried shrimp meat is firm, with a sweet and slightly salty flavor of the sea.Large sea shrimps are quickly blanched in boiling water, then removed, peeled, sun-dried for about 5 to 6 hours, and packaged or stored in jars. You can enjoy dried shrimp with pickled papaya or use them for soup, frying, stir-frying, or making salads, all incredibly delicious.
Dried shrimp from Nam Du are made from sea shrimps (Photo by ST)
