Top 10 Exquisite and Expensive Delicacies for the Wealthy in Vietnam

Geoduck is a type of seafood that resembles a clam, found only in the Bạch Đằng River estuary, which borders Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng. Today, geoduck is a specialty of Quảng Ninh, priced around 600,000 VND to 800,000 VND per kilogram. This delicacy is typically harvested from the wild from March to October each lunar year.

Geoduck is considered highly nutritious, packed with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and essential minerals, making it ideal for boosting health. It can be prepared in various ways, including grilled geoduck, geoduck porridge, and geoduck wine (where live geoduck is soaked in alcohol). However, the most famous and signature dish of Hạ Long is the geoduck vermicelli bowl.

King Crab is an extremely rare species of crab that only inhabits cold, deep waters, commonly found in the Southeast Pacific and other temperate seas. In Vietnam, King Crab is mostly found in pristine coastal areas with golden sandy bottoms and clear waters, such as Quy Nhơn, Phú Yên, Tuy Phong, Sa Huỳnh, and Cam Ranh.

Considered to be a highly nutritious seafood, King Crab boasts delicious, tender meat that is both flavorful and healthy. The crab's flesh is firm, pure white, and high in protein, making it a great energy booster for men, especially when prepared fresh. Only discerning and wealthy diners can afford to enjoy this delicacy, as it comes at a staggering price. It is known that a single 2 kg King Crab can be sold for as much as 5,000,000 VND, although catching them is no easy feat.

Shark Fin is one of the priciest delicacies, and only the wealthy can afford to indulge in it. In the past, only royalty had the privilege of tasting this dish. Although today, it has become more widely available in restaurants, it is still regarded as a luxury food item with an exorbitant price tag.

Shark Fin is renowned for its high nutritional value, known for its benefits in protecting cartilage, joints, and regenerating corneal tissue. Typically, shark fin is made into a soup and is sold for around 1.5 million VND per small bowl.

Once dubbed the “King of Vietnamese fish” and considered one of the rarest offerings that must be delivered as tribute, Anh Vu fish commands an extraordinarily high price. Each fish weighing under 2 kg is priced at 1,400,000 VND per kg, while those over 5 kg can cost up to 1,600,000 VND per kg.

This Anh Vu fish species only thrives in fast-moving waters, which gives its meat a firm texture and thermogenic properties, making it useful for treating heat-related illnesses, constipation, and for kidney strengthening. Due to its habitat in rapid streams, the fish develops a robust mouth to cling firmly to rocks, spending hours scraping algae off them to eat, giving it a snout that resembles that of a pig.

Just as the value of the Đông Tảo chicken lies in its legs, the “pig-like” mouth of the Anh Vu fish is highly regarded by gourmet enthusiasts. According to seasoned fishermen, this peculiar mouth is considered the most delectable and valuable part of the fish.

Sam Cam is a bird with a sleek black head and neck, a long sharp beak, reddish-brown eyes, and a white horn-like patch behind its beak. It typically weighs between 400-500 grams, although some can reach nearly 700 grams. This migratory bird comes from the North and annually travels along the globe.

The Sam Cam feeds primarily on aquatic plants found at the bottom of lakes and ponds. It is known to breed in many freshwater marshes and lakes of the Old World. As winter sets in and temperatures drop, Sam Cam migrates southward and westward. Once a royal delicacy, this bird remains extremely expensive. Currently, farmed Sam Cam is priced at 1,800,000 VND per kg, with wild-caught specimens fetching an even higher price.

Sa Sung is one of the rarest seafood delicacies today. Historically, it was harvested as a tribute for kings. According to some traditional medicine texts, Sa Sung is used as a powerful tonic to boost vitality and energy. Additionally, it can be prepared by soaking in saltwater, boiling, then drying it for use in medicinal preparations. For consumption, it is typically boiled again, sliced into small pieces, and cooked with herbal medicine or simmered in a black-bone chicken stew.

Moreover, Sa Sung is also enjoyed fresh in soups or roasted for a nourishing dish. Did you know that in traditional pho from Hanoi and Nam Dinh, to enhance the broth's flavor, Sa Sung or dried shrimp is sometimes added in addition to boiling beef bones? Currently, Sa Sung is priced at an astonishing 2,300,000 VND per kilogram, a figure that truly surprises.

For a long time, Nine-Crested Chicken has been known as a rare breed in Vietnam. Legend has it that in ancient times, this chicken was a royal delicacy and is closely tied to the myth of Son Tinh and Thuy Tinh. As a result, the price of Nine-Crested Chicken is significantly higher than that of regular chickens, ranging from 600,000 VND to 1,000,000 VND per kg.

What sets this chicken apart is not only its delicious, nutritious meat but also its symbolic meaning of prosperity and good fortune for families who enjoy it during the first meal of the year. Consequently, Nine-Crested Chicken has become a trendy luxury item, representing the status of wealthy individuals willing to spend large sums to acquire this prized bird for festive feasts.

Dong Tao Chicken is a rare and unique breed found only in Vietnam. What sets this chicken apart is its strikingly large, rough legs. When fully grown, the male can weigh over 6 kg, while the female can exceed kg. It has been raised for generations in Dong Tao village, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province. The usual price for this rare bird is between 400,000 VND and 500,000 VND per kg, but during the lead-up to Tet, the price can skyrocket to 1,000,000 VND to 1,500,000 VND per kg.

Dong Tao Chicken can be prepared in a variety of delicious dishes, such as chicken skin with rice powder, herbal chicken stew, and steamed chicken with mushrooms. Nowadays, many regions have taken up farming Dong Tao Chicken due to its ease of breeding and high economic returns. Some countries like Japan and the UK have also expressed interest in importing this chicken for research purposes.

Lobster typically resides among coral reefs, and for centuries, it has been revered as the king of seafood within the shrimp family due to its tender, sweet meat. Lobsters are known for their large, powerful claws, with the most delicious and sweet meat found in these very claws. Their diet mainly consists of fish, crabs, and shellfish, making lobster a nutrient-rich seafood packed with calcium and protein, effectively boosting health and vitality.

At seafood restaurants, lobster is prepared in a variety of delicious dishes such as cheesy grilled lobster, lobster with tomato butter sauce, and garlic butter grilled lobster. Although the price is relatively high, ranging from 1,300,000 VND to 1,500,000 VND per kg, lobster remains a sought-after delicacy for discerning food lovers.

Knifejaw Fish is a species that can only be found and thrives in the Nhà Bè River area, where the water conditions are ideal. This fish can grow up to a meter in length, with a tubular-shaped beak and a wide-open mouth resembling a mortar, which is how it got its name. The meat is sweet, fragrant, and rich in protein with low fat content.

Knifejaw Fish is considered a rare and highly coveted seafood from the Central Coast, sought after by food connoisseurs with prices ranging between 1,000,000 VND and 1,300,000 VND per kilogram. Due to overfishing, this fish is becoming increasingly scarce, and as demand grows, its price continues to rise, becoming even rarer as more people are willing to pay for this delicacy.