Top 10 Most Famous Seafood Species in Vietnam

Blood Cockles from Ô Loan Lagoon are renowned as the finest seafood from Phú Yên. This is a must-try delicacy when visiting Phú Yên. Located along the eastern side of National Highway 1A, Ô Loan Lagoon is surrounded by Đồng Cháy Mountain, Cẩm Mountain, and An Hải Sandbank in Tuy An District, Phú Yên Province, about 25 km from Tuy Hòa City. The blood cockles here are typically larger, with thick, sweet, and flavorful meat. Unlike other areas, the cockles from Ô Loan Lagoon are fresh and nutrient-rich as they are regularly harvested, not preserved with harmful methods. Blood cockles are high in protein and offer numerous health benefits, boosting endurance. Available year-round, the best time to enjoy them is during seasonal transitions when they are plump and juicy. To ensure safety and quality, always buy from trusted suppliers. Authentic Ô Loan blood cockles are priced at around 100,000 VND/kg. With a light gray shell, rather than the usual black, these cockles are packed with red blood and have a distinctive taste. The lagoon, at the mouth of the Cái River where saltwater and freshwater mix, provides the perfect environment for these cockles, giving them unique quality. Harvesting them is simple; just wade through the mud at low tide, step on a cockle, grab it with your toes, and collect it in a basket. Blood cockles can be prepared in various ways like stir-fried with tamarind, sour and spicy sauce, boiled with lemongrass, grilled, or steamed. However, the most delicious way to enjoy them is steamed. Blood cockles from Ô Loan Lagoon are a famous specialty and a point of pride for the people of Phú Yên. If you visit, don't miss the opportunity to taste them.

Ocean Tuna, also known as “bò gù” by the fishermen of Phú Yên, is named after its humpback and beef-like red meat. Each fish weighs between 40 to 50 kg, though some can reach over 100 kg—double the weight of an average adult. Packed with nutrients, rich in protein, and low in fat, ocean tuna is incredibly healthy, helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. While this fish is common along the central coast, it is considered a specialty in Phú Yên due to the unique way locals enjoy it. Every year, in the full moon of January, Phú Yên fishermen embark on their tuna catching journey, with the peak season for ocean tuna occurring in April, when boats return to shore bringing fresh, delicious tuna to the region. Phú Yên is famous for its specialty of fresh tuna served with wasabi, locally called “bồ tạt.” Once brought ashore, the tuna is washed, thinly sliced, and kept cool to maintain its freshness. When the tuna turns from a bright red to a pinkish-white hue, it’s ready to eat.

Each delicate slice of tuna becomes even more tempting when paired with fresh herbs such as green lettuce, cilantro, mint, and basil, along with a dipping sauce made from wasabi, soy sauce, chili, and a touch of lime. The bitter and spicy flavor of the herbs blends perfectly with the savory and sweet taste of the tuna, creating a unique, oceanic flavor that lingers on the palate...

If you ever visit Khánh Hòa, you haven't truly experienced the place unless you've tried Bình Ba Lobster. Known for its rich, buttery flavor and succulent sweetness, the lobster is even more flavorful when served with the special green chili salt. Whether steamed, grilled, or in a hot pot with fresh herbs, this dish is one you can’t miss. When you think of Bình Ba Lobster, you’re thinking of one of the most famous seafood specialties, not just in Khánh Hòa, but across Vietnam. Anyone who has ever tasted the lobster from Bình Ba Island understands why it has earned its reputation. While lobster farms can be found all over Vietnam, Bình Ba is undoubtedly the most famous place for it.

Bình Ba Lobster is not only abundant but also incredibly fresh, tasty, and affordable. Imagine catching a huge lobster yourself from the sea cages, then grilling it right on the beach—how amazing does that sound? Besides lobsters, Bình Ba Island also offers a variety of other fresh seafood like snails, squid, and blood cockles. The local fishermen will even prepare these delicacies for you in various ways, such as steaming, grilling, or making salads. The lobster meat is incredibly fresh, often served live for the ultimate flavor. Bình Ba Lobster is renowned for dishes like Lobster Blood Soup, Garlic Butter Lobster, Cheese Grilled Lobster, Crispy Fried Lobster, and Steamed Lobster. Make sure to try the fresh Bình Ba Lobster for the full experience of its unique taste.

As its name suggests, sun-dried squid is dried under the sun just once, creating a firm exterior while preserving the freshness and tenderness inside. The squid is best when grilled over a low flame, turning golden and releasing a sweet, natural aroma. Served with chili sauce, it may resemble dried squid, but its taste is truly one-of-a-kind.

Sun-dried squid is one of Phan Thiết’s signature delicacies, crafted with the sweet flavors of the ocean, dried under the strong sun and breezes of this coastal region. Unlike fully dried squid, it is neither too tough nor overly crispy; it has the perfect balance of chewiness and crispness, making it suitable for various dishes like grilling, stir-frying, or even salads. The squid is dried to a perfect consistency, with a white, opaque appearance, and its texture makes it ideal for various cooking methods. The best sun-dried squid comes from regions with saltier waters, especially from the central coast, where the high temperatures, year-round sunlight, and coral reefs create an ideal environment for squid and other seafood to thrive.

Nipple snail is a rare seafood delicacy found in the waters of Côn Đảo, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. This region is not only known for its breathtaking natural beauty but also for its abundant, unique delicacies. The nipple snail is one of those prized treasures. Visitors to Côn Đảo can’t forget the rich flavor of these snails when boiled or steamed, keeping their freshness and natural taste intact. The snails are often served with salt, pepper, and lime, making them even more irresistible, leaving you wanting to return to Côn Đảo time and time again!

Nipple snails are delicious whether boiled, grilled, or prepared as salads. The most common method is boiling them, as it’s simple yet effective. After cleaning the snails, they are placed in a pot with just a little water, or sometimes none at all, since they already contain moisture. While boiling, it’s important to occasionally stir the snails to ensure even cooking. Once done, the snails are cooled, and the meat is carefully removed from the shell using a small knife. The meat turns from white to a golden yellow color. Just dip them in salt, pepper, and lime, and enjoy the crunchy, sweet texture. The unique taste of these snails, especially when freshly milked, offers a rich, creamy flavor that’s like nothing else. The broth is also highly flavorful, striking a perfect balance of salty and sweet.

When people think of Phú Quốc, they envision a paradise of culinary delights, made from the freshest ingredients from the sea. Among its must-try dishes are Phú Quốc fish sauce, Hàm Ninh crabs, Phú Quốc sea urchins, mackerel salad, and of course, the famous Biên Mai Roe—a delicacy not to be missed during your visit. The Biên Mai clam is a bivalve mollusk found abundantly in the Phú Quốc waters. It is a dark brown, long, fan-shaped clam that weighs around 200-250 grams—much larger than blood clams. The roe, or Biên Mai Roe, is cleaned, seasoned with coarse salt, and grilled with chili peppers, giving it a delicious spicy kick and an intense flavor. The dish is so popular that locals often say, 'If you haven’t tried Biên Mai Roe, you haven’t truly been to Phú Quốc.'

The name itself sparks curiosity and makes one eager to try it. Biên Mai Roe comes from a triangular-shaped clam, about the size of an adult’s palm, which burrows deep into the seabed. One clam can weigh over 1 kilogram, but only the white, round roe the size of a coin is used for cooking. There are many ways to prepare Biên Mai Roe to give it its signature flavor in Phú Quốc’s cuisine. Common methods include stir-frying with mushrooms, onions, and leafy greens, allowing the savory taste of the sea to blend perfectly with the fresh sweetness of the vegetables. This creates a flavor that tourists can’t wait to experience during their stay.

Another popular preparation is grilling the clam roe with onion oil. The roe is grilled until the shell opens, then the meat is exposed and sprinkled with the fragrant oil. As it grills, the sweet and savory flavors combine with the richness of the onion oil. The Biên Mai Roe is often marinated in sea salt and red chili peppers before being skewered with pandan leaves and grilled over glowing embers. Imagine sitting on a beach at sunset, savoring the perfect balance of salt from the sea and the fiery heat of chili that elevates the sweet taste of the Biên Mai Roe.

When you think of Cà Mau, the renowned mantis shrimp comes to mind. Unlike the tastes of tiger prawns or lobsters, mantis shrimp exude a rich, oceanic flavor, making it a must-try delicacy for anyone visiting the southernmost part of Vietnam. The most common way to prepare mantis shrimp is by drying it, and it’s become a popular snack for those awaiting their main meal. It's no exaggeration to say that mantis shrimp ranks among the top 10 must-try seafood dishes in Vietnam. This creature is particularly unique: it resembles a shrimp in body but has the fierce claws of a praying mantis. Its meat is delicious, tender, and carries a distinctive taste. Known as the Mantis Shrimp, it gets its name from its resemblance to both a shrimp and the predatory mantis, whose claws are used for hunting and defense.

Cà Mau, with the sea on three sides, is home to abundant mantis shrimp, caught in large estuaries using trawl boats. While you can find these shrimp at local markets or seafood restaurants in Cà Mau, to truly experience them, head to places like Sông Đốc, Đá Bạc, Khai Long, Đất Mũi, or Năm Căn. There, you can enjoy freshly caught shrimp while soaking in the expansive view of the ocean. The sweet and salty taste of mantis shrimp is loved by many. The simplest way to prepare them is by boiling and serving them with salt, pepper, and lime, accompanied by fresh vegetables. For a more intricate preparation, you can steam them with beer, coconut water, or lemongrass, grill them, or fry them with garlic. In Cà Mau, dried mantis shrimp is also highly regarded, alongside other famous dried seafood like shrimp, snakehead fish, and catfish.

Sá Sùng are soft-bodied creatures that thrive in the sandy shores where the tide shifts, creating dunes. These creatures resemble giant worms and burrow into the sand, sometimes as deep as 10 to 30 meters underwater. Local fishermen consider sá sùng to be the most exquisite bait, even surpassing shrimp, crabs, and fish. Visitors often recall the taste of freshly sautéed sá sùng with garlic and wild betel leaves or the roasted variety served with lime, fresh herbs, and banana blossoms – a treat that becomes even sweeter the more you chew. This dish is a must at local social gatherings.

Known by various names such as sea worms, beach grubs, or earthworms, sá sùng are abundant in Quảng Ninh, particularly around Vân Đồn. These creatures have a reddish-brown hue with tiny streaks across their bodies. Although larger than other worms, their bodies are mainly filled with sand. Fishermen catch sá sùng early in the morning when the tide has just receded, leaving behind the telltale signs of their nighttime movements as they emerge from the sand to feed or mate. Similar to earthworm hunting, once you find their tracks, simply dig into the sand to uncover them. Sá sùng feed on organic debris and plankton in the water. They grow from 7 to 15 cm in length. Rich in nutrients such as amino acids, glycine, alanine, glutamine, succinic acid, taurine, and various minerals, sá sùng is celebrated in traditional Eastern medicine for its sweet flavor, cooling properties, and its ability to warm the body and enhance energy. Historically, it was used as dried shrimp to enrich broths and soups like bún or phở. Nowadays, sá sùng is a popular dish in seafood restaurants, especially when grilled.

The name itself is intriguing, isn’t it? Locals often call it mực nhả, but the correct name is actually "mực nháy", referring to freshly caught squid that is still alive and glistening with tiny, shimmering spots on its translucent skin. The squid is incredibly fresh and sweet, making it a true delicacy.

Jumping Squid can be prepared in various ways, such as boiled, steamed, or simply grilled immediately after being caught, retaining its natural sweetness and flavor. Boiling is the most common method, but eating it raw is an even more unique experience. Visitors can enjoy it by holding the squid by its tentacles, briefly dipping it into hot water, and then savoring it. For the raw version, choose a squid freshly pulled from the water, remove the internal organs, and squeeze some lime over it to marinate. The squid is then served with a spicy mustard dip, where each bite bursts with freshness and flavor. This is a must-try specialty in Nghệ An, offering a perfect balance of crispness and tenderness that leaves diners feeling refreshed and satisfied.

Cửa Lò Jumping Squid from Nghệ An is sourced directly from the boats, ensuring 100% freshness with no chemical preservatives. The squid is flash-frozen while still alive to preserve its near-perfect freshness, and then shipped directly to Hanoi for distribution to customers. This method ensures the squid retains its natural chewiness and sweetness, making it an exceptional seafood treat.

Bạch Long Vĩ Island Abalone is renowned for its freshness and high protein content. When prepared, its meat remains firm and succulent, bursting with natural flavor. Experts often consider it one of the top 10 must-try dishes in Vietnam. Historically, abalone has been categorized as one of the "eight delicacies," alongside dishes like phoenix rolls, bird's nest soup, and shark fin soup, all considered to be luxury foods. Beyond its culinary appeal, abalone is also prized in traditional medicine. Its salty taste and balanced properties make it beneficial for replenishing energy, improving eyesight, aiding digestion, and boosting vitality. Both the shell and the meat are used for medicinal purposes, helping to restore health. Abalone is packed with protein and contains 20 essential amino acids. The meat is rich in selenium and magnesium, which help protect the body from cancer and slow down aging, while also promoting skin health.

To harvest abalone, divers must dive into the sea, navigating rocky seabeds. Once found, they gently hook the abalone with a metal tool and swiftly detach it. After harvesting, the abalone is cleaned with diluted saltwater, and the meat is removed from the shell. Abalone can be eaten fresh or dried. When paired with the right spices, it can be transformed into dishes that no other seafood can match: fresh abalone sashimi, garlic-grilled abalone, oyster sauce abalone, steamed whole abalone, or even abalone porridge. One standout dish is the "Abalone and Black Sea Cucumber with Chinese Herbs Soup," a health-boosting delicacy that is especially recommended for those recovering from illness.