Quang Ninh is a place blessed by nature with countless rich and unique products. Coming to Quang Ninh, in addition to enjoying seafood, nodding cakes…, visitors also have the opportunity to learn about another famous specialty with a very strange name, which is the Ca Sap.
Hearing the name of this species, many people certainly want to try it to know its flavor. It is known that the crocodile is a hybrid duck and goose breed commonly raised in Tien Yen town (Tien Yen district, Quang Ninh province). Because it is created from two types of poultry, the crocodile dish has many outstanding advantages: Tien Yen crocodile meat is firm, the meat is rich in flavor and not fishy.
The Ca Xay is a hybrid duck-goose breed commonly raised in Tien Yen town (Tien Yen district, Quang Ninh province).
Locals say that the local people have raised the crocodile for a long time, and it is released into the wild, and the best dishes are in Dong Hai and Dai Duc communes. Crocodile can be grilled, cooked into porridge, boiled, roasted, etc.
“Saltfish are raised from 7 months to 1 year, reaching a weight of 2.5-2.7kg, with wings long enough to cross each other, then they can be used for meat. If raised longer, they will become old and tough, and younger ones will not be sweet enough. Grilled crocodiles are fatty thanks to their thick, golden, crunchy, delicious skin, while the meat is firm and sweet, not too tough, not too mushy,” Mr. Hai (in Dong Hai commune) shared.
Sardines can be made into many delicious dishes and are available in restaurants in Quang Ninh.
According to Mr. Hai, before, only locals knew about the crocodile, but when tourism in Quang Ninh developed, the crocodile became more widely known, and visitors coming here were curious because of its strange name.
In restaurants and eateries in Quang Ninh, the crocodile is included in the menu, making many famous delicious specialties. In Tien Yen, the crocodile is sold by the piece, priced from 120,000-140,000 VND/kg depending on the time. If the feathers have been cleaned, the price is about 180,000 VND/kg.
Because of the economic value, Tien Yen people have expanded the model of raising crocodiles to sell to the market. When the crocodiles are big enough, they will be brought to the market to sell, or sold to restaurants and eateries.
In Tien Yen, crocodiles are sold by the piece, priced from 120,000-140,000 VND/kg depending on the time.
During Tet, locals often cook crab with plum sauce. According to Mr. Hai, delicious crabs are those that are big enough and have long enough wings. When standing, their wings should cross each other, and the feathers at the end of the wings should form a cross shape.
To make the dish of crab meat with plum and salted shrimp, basic ingredients such as galangal, fermented rice, shrimp paste are indispensable. These spices will be marinated for about 10 – 30 minutes with the crab meat after cutting it into pieces. To add more flavor, sweet potatoes or taro are added to the dish to create thickness, nutrition and also to absorb fat to avoid being greasy. The crab meat is then put in a pot and boiled for a short time before it can be taken out to eat. The crab meat with plum and salted shrimp is eaten hot, with vermicelli or bread, both fragrant and rich in the flavor of the crab meat and rich in nutrients. Anyone who tries it once will be fascinated by its unique flavor.