King crab, priced at millions of dong per kilogram, is still selling out quickly.

With its unusual shape, firm and flavorful meat, king crab remains popular despite its price of millions of dong per kilogram.

King crab has long been sought after by customers. Two years ago, at a supermarket in Hanoi, an imported American king crab weighing about 2kg was sold for 5 million VND. Some other restaurants also sell this type of crab for 2.5-4 million VND.

Due to high market demand, people in the central coastal regions have recently rushed to fish, causing product prices to drop, but they are still constantly sold out despite a significant increase in supply compared to before.

King crab weighing 1kg is always in high demand among Hanoi residents. Photo: DSPR.

Mr. Hoang, the owner of a fresh seafood store in Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, said that he started sourcing king crab two years ago. Initially, he sourced it from Ly Son Island, and later purchased more from Phu Quy Island due to supply shortages.

“Two years ago, I only had about 1-2 kg to sell each day, but now the quantity has increased to nearly 10 kg, and it's still not enough to meet demand. Some customers place orders today, but I can only deliver them 2-3 days later. Because it's fresh, grade 1 king crab (over 1 kg per crab) costs 850,000 VND per kg, grade 2 costs 700,000 VND, and the 5 or 6 crabs (each crab weighing less than 300 grams) cost 550,000-650,000 VND per kg,” Mr. Hoang said.

According to Tong Dinh Trung, the owner of a seafood wholesale business in District 2, king crabs are also selling quite well right now. He said that king crabs are in high demand, but if you don't know how to choose them, the products you sell won't be good. King crabs at his store are sold for 550,000-600,000 VND per kilogram (each crab weighing 700-800 grams).

"All of my king crab products come from Phu Quy Island, and I have fresh, live crabs every day because relatives transport them. I don't buy crabs from boats that are out at sea for 5-6 days because they will be thin and have spongy meat," Trung said.

The reddish-pink shell of the crab, shaped like a turtle, is very eye-catching. Photo: MH.

Despite selling large quantities and having a seasonal supply, the owner of a Phan Rang specialty shop in Bac Hai residential area (District 10), Ho Chi Minh City, says they still frequently run out of stock. Most of the products here are imported from Phan Rang (Ninh Thuan province).

“We import 40 kg every day, but some days we run out of stock early because most customers pre-order. Especially for products weighing 1 kg or more, they are highly sought after by customers in Hanoi and buy up all the stock despite the high price. During peak season, these 1 kg or more crabs cost one million dong per kg, with the heaviest weighing 1.5 kg. During the off-season, the price can sometimes reach 1.5 million dong per kg,” the shop owner shared, adding that crabs weighing 700-900 grams each sell for 850,000 dong per kg, while those weighing 4-5 crabs per kg cost 450,000 dong.

Speaking to VnExpress, a trader specializing in collecting king crabs on Phu Quy Island said that this type of crab is only abundant about a month before the Lunar New Year and lasts until April of the lunar calendar. In other months, the supply gradually decreases. Therefore, this is the opportunity to eat crabs at a cheaper price compared to from May onwards.

“This crab has delicious meat like lobster, firm, with fragrant and rich roe, and is very nutritious. In the past, this type of crab was only offered to emperors and kings during the spring season, so it was given the name 'emperor crab' by the ancients. However, to avoid confusion with the name of the emperor, it was changed to 'Huynh De crab' (Emperor crab),” this trader said, adding that the crabs usually live far from shore, in clean, deep waters with sandy and gravelly soil. Huynh De crabs are caught by diving or using traps. The traps for Huynh De crabs are shaped like a cone, with fresh bait attached in the center. In some places, nets are used to lure the crabs in to eat the bait and get their legs caught in the net.

According to VNE