Buzz
Vu Dai Braised Fish, Fried Ant Eggs, Kitchen Shelf Buffalo and Beef Meat... are among the once ordinary dishes gradually becoming specialties and commanding high prices during Tet.
Nearly a million dong for a pot of fried ant eggs
Fried ant eggs, once a common fare among villagers, were very cheap. However, due to their high nutritional value and seasonal availability, they have gradually become prized delicacies, favored during Tet. Ms. Nham (Ngô Quyền, Hai Phong), a vendor at Luong Van Can market, revealed that due to limited supply, she only sells a set amount on regular days, reserving the rest for Tet sales.
During ant egg season, many are willing to spend millions to stock up on ant eggs for Tet dishes. Ms. Yen (Cau Giay, Hanoi), an ant egg vendor, shared that during peak season, prices range from 200,000 to 300,000 dong per kilogram, while premium cleaned and selected varieties can fetch 400,000 to 500,000 dong per kilogram. However, nearing Tet, limited supply drives prices up to 600,000 dong per kilogram. Currently, she also offers a premium ant egg stew cooked in clay pots, priced at over a million dong per pot.
A Pot of Million-Dong Braised Fish
Just like fireflies, in the past, braised fish was just a simple, rustic dish in rural families. However, in recent years, braised fish has become increasingly popular and expensive, especially the braised carp from Vu Dai village, Ha Nam.
Currently, a pot of fresh 2 kg fish costs up to 600,000 VND in raw materials, while a larger 4.5 kg pot can fetch up to 1.1 million VND. According to a fish seller, during the two weeks of Tet alone, they supply approximately 250-300 pots of braised fish per day.
Kitchen shelf meat sells out every Tet season.
Dried buffalo meat is a characteristic dish of people in the highland region of Northwest Vietnam. Usually during festivals and Tet, people slaughter buffalo and set aside a portion of fresh, marinated buffalo meat to hang over the kitchen shelves, smoking it slowly for consumption over time.
Due to its fragrant and sweet flavor, this delicacy has become a favorite among many tourists. Gradually, it has become a specialty of the region. Currently, these types of 'kitchen shelf' meats are not cheap, ranging from 900,000 to 1.3 million VND per kilogram. During Tet, many families are willing to spend millions to purchase them for snacks to accompany their beer or liquor.
Sea urchin has become a specialty of Phu Quoc.
With its peculiar shape and sharp spikes that cause excruciating pain upon contact, sea urchins (often referred to as sea grapes) once instilled fear in the people of Phu Quoc, deterring them from consumption. In 2000, a local witnessed monkeys using rocks to crack open the shells and feast on the sea urchin's innards. Soon after, Japanese and French tourists expressed interest in trying sea urchin, prompting locals to experiment with dishes like raw sea urchin dipped in lime and chili sauce.
Gradually, sea urchin gained popularity and became a specialty of Phu Quoc. A processed sea urchin can fetch up to 40,000 VND. Today, sea urchin not only serves as a delicacy but is also sold at exorbitant prices in Paris and New York.
Source: Zing
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourNovember 18, 2015
